Blue Moon in Your Eyes
by mistatephoenix
Summary: Months after RFB, a group that normally works with the ISSP suddenly become vigilantes and attempt to recruit Spike. But how are they connected to Faye?
1. Woke Up This Morning

**A/N: In a perfect world, I'd own Bebop and somewhere in the show I'd be there! Well, unfortunately, that's not how the world works. Oh well. C'est la vie! Enjoy!**

**Prologue**

_One week before Ed leaves_

Spike Spiegel was never one to claim belief in anything. Sure, he'd studied martial arts almost as if his life depended on it. Sometimes, his life actually did depend on his dedication to his training. But nothing had ever really made a difference.

Until her.

Lately, she had been popping in and out of Spike's mind with every thought. Silly things like seeing teenage lovers chase each other around made him regret the dream never ending. Since refueling on Athenti Citi, about fifty kilometers from Tharsis, Spike had been unable to sleep. Fed up, Spike went to work out and popped in a disc that Julia gave him years ago. The pop singer, a 20th century superstar Spike had long ago forgotten the name of, sweetly sang the one verse that meant so much more than it used to:

Love, oh my love,

I wonder sometimes

Were you just a dream.

I sit in the dark

Wondering if our paths

Will ever cross again.

Oh God, I need to know.

"Where are you," Spike thought to himself, punching the image of a man who was his best friend four years ago and who now wanted him dead.

As Spike calmed, he began thinking of the many women, beautiful and otherwise, he'd met since his "death." Katerina. Twinkle Maria Murdock. VT. The lady at the Pet Shop. Stella. Alisa. Meifa. Electra. Faye. Each woman brought back memories of how he met her and what he'd done to keep up with her. Katerina was dead, shot by the ISSP. Twinkle, as far as Spike knew, had been turned into a monkey. He called VT from time to time, especially when he needed help tracking a bounty's location. Spike was there the day Stella was released from the hospital and has gone to see her every once in a while since. He lost track of Meifa and Alisa.

Then there were Electra and Faye. The two combined, Spike thought, would make the perfect woman. Both had their good and bad sides, sure. Electra was too open to taking orders, though was, Spike had to admit, a bad ass that even he came to admire. Faye, on the other hand, refused to take even advice most of the time, though was tough enough to keep up with the likes of him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he cared deeply for both women.

"But neither of them can replace Julia," Spike thought, relaxing on the ratty old yellow couch in the makeshift den. The all-too familiar bumps and stains reminded him of past joys and pains, from missions racking in loads of cash to failed escapades that usually ended with some sort of body injury that would require days of befriending the couch. These same bumps finally relaxed him to sleep.

_All he could see was blue. To him, the dream was a nightmare that he'd faced again and again for the past three years. There was a gun lying on a table near a woman. She was crying, not because of the gun itself, but what she was told to do with it. There was no way she could handle the task she was given and she knew it. So, she decided to run. No one, not even the person she was protecting, would know where to find her._

_The dream skipped to a rainy night. He was walking the street alone with rose petals marking his path when he noticed something on the ground. Something white and torn. He looked up, curious who put it there and why. He noticed a chair next to a window on the fourth floor and began to understand, though it hurt like Hell. He knew then that the dream would keep going, but there was more to the story than he would know for a long time, if at all._

Just like other similar nights, Spike woke up in a cold sweat. He sat up and held his head in his hands. "What the Hell happened to us," he asked himself. "To me? To you?" He then laughed to himself. "Maybe I'm not meant to be with anyone."

Little did he know that someone was watching the whole episode and trying not to say anything or cry. That, after all, is a weakness that can't be seen by the likes of Spike Spiegel…


	2. Got Yourself A Gun

**Got Yourself A Gun**

_Moments before storming into the Red Dragon's lair_

"I can't believe I just said that to her," Spike thought, preparing to fly away from the Bebop. He wasn't sure if this would be the last time, but he already knew there was no turning back. "She wasn't ready to hear any of that!"

Spike sat in the cockpit of Swordfish II for a couple moments, thinking. He didn't know what it was about Faye, but she somehow always got to him. This time was no different. Her pleas kept ringing in his head over and over again.

_Where are you going?_

_Why are you going?_

"Hell, those are questions I can't even answer myself," Spike muttered, whistling and checking to make sure everything on the ship worked.

Then he remembered the fall.

Julia's eyes were open wide, almost like she finally realized something at the last minute but had no time to do anything about it. Her final words still brought chills to his bones. "It was all just a dream," she whispered before closing her eyes for the last time.

Was she really the reason he was going to face Vicious?

Or was it his way of protecting Jet and Faye?

"I just have to see him one last time," Spike thought, cringing at the idea of seeing Vicious face-to-face again. He suddenly sat up for a moment. When had he said that before?

Vincent.

Why do all the semi-decent guys that turn evil have names that start with the letter V?

Spike finally finished his checklist and began flying off, taking a long, hard look at the Bebop. "My past finally caught up to me," he sighed, taking off.

* * *

Jet stared out into space, wishing his cop instinct would kick in and stop Spike before he did something stupid. "That kid is nothing but trouble," Jet thought to himself, constantly wiping the windowpane even though it was already as clean as it could be. "What was I thinking, teaming up with someone like him? I was better off on my own." Jet heard a beep and looked towards the controls. The hatch had been opened. Jet sighed, turning around in time to see Spike fly away. Knowing there was nothing else he could do for Spike, Jet began cleaning the windowpane again.

* * *

"Hey, Spi-" Electra said, looking at Spike with a puzzled glare through the COM. "Why are you wearing a trench coat? Where are you?" 

"A few miles from Tharsis," Spike replied.

"What the hell are you doing on Mars?" Electra asked. "Another bounty?"

"Something like that," Spike replied.

"What's going on?" Electra asked, wondering why Spike wasn't his usual sarcastic and silly self."

"Let's just say my past finally caught up to me," Spike told her.

Electra's eyes widened, wondering if he finally found that woman he told her about when they were stuck in the barracks at Curious Medical. "Did you finally find that woman?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Spike replied. "She's dead."

"I'm sorry," Electra said, softening her gaze just enough for Spike to pick up. "What are you going to do now?"

"Something I should have done years ago," Spike told her.

Electra looked at him curiously. She knew Spike wasn't the type of person to discuss personal things with anyone. She noticed that he never mentioned how he knew "this woman" or why she disappeared. She was certain he wasn't always a bounty hunter, but wasn't too sure what he did beforehand. Granted, she'd heard stories about Spike that would make a modest girl run in fear, but Electra was not the average, ordinary girl. She sighed, wondering how to bring up his past. "Were you really with the Red Dragons at one time?" she finally asked him.

Spike's expression changed. It went from somewhere between mellow and sad to somewhere between sad and angry. He wouldn't directly answer Electra's question but instead sighed. "My past finally caught up with me," he said. "They shot Jet and tried to shoot down the Bebop."

Electra sighed, understanding where this conversation was going. "So how are you going to storm into the Syndicate building without being shot?"

Spike smiled mischievously. Electra sighed, questioning Spike's sanity yet again.

* * *

There was an unusual chill in the air, which would make even the toughest person look over their shoulder to avoid danger. 

The city of Tharsis was very quiet, as if it was holding its breath. The sky, decorated with its twilight charm, seemed less serene than normal. The only bird that could be distinctly heard was the crow singing its sad and unmistakable death song.

The few decent people left who weren't tied to the syndicate were deathly afraid to leave their homes. Those syndicate members who were loyal to either Mao or the Van tried leaving Mars on "vacations" or copied the actions of those removed from the syndicate.

Spike wandered the streets with a stone cold look about him. There was an unmistakable aura of purpose and determination about him. He saw two images while landing his Swordfish that made him truly consider why he was doing what he was doing. He noticed a group of people dressed in black and gathered at a cathedral approximately 350 meters from his current position. Right next to the cathedral, a man dressed in black was chasing away a would-be robber from a fifteen-year-old girl. Spike sighed, wondering if anyone would truly understand.

_Well, you're the one that's glued to the past, Spike!_

"Well, that may be," Spike thought to himself, sighing as yet another thing Faye said infected his brain. "But that might be the thing that saves your lives."


	3. Mama Always Said

**Mama Always Said**

(Two weeks after destruction of Red Dragon Building)

Spike looked around, confused. Wasn't this supposed to be when he saw either flames, like Jesus-freaks he'd seen on the streets of Mars predicted, or some unknown world where he was some sort of animal or bug, like the monks he stole from as a kid told him?

Well, it was just his luck. He was in neither place.

Spike tried sitting up, but quickly lay back down. His torso hurt like Hell. He looked down, rubbing the spot where a katana decided to make its grand entrance into his skin. "He sure picked a hell of a place to cut me," Spike thought, looking around him.

The room holding Spike was nothing more than a living room of some sort. There was one of those couches that old hippies kept in their lounge/living rooms and chairs like you'd find in a coffee shop. He sighed. Though he had to admit that the owner had a little bit of taste, the setup was not one he'd personally choose for himself.

"Oh!" a young woman said, peeking around a corner. "I guess you're finally up." She walked into the room, smiling. Her long brown hair swayed with the wind blowing through the apartment. Her green eyes sparkled, much like a pond or lake at the home of someone rich or, at the very least, well off. She smiled, holding in her hands a tray with miso soup and sukiyaki beef on top. "I thought you might be hungry."

Spike couldn't help but smile. "For someone who I'm just meeting, you sure know me well," he said.

The young woman laughed. "The name's Akina Yamanashi," she said. Spike was about to speak. "I already know who you are. I've heard a lot about you. Shin used to talk about you a lot. Julia too."

Spike sat straight up, stunned. How did this woman know both Shin and Julia on such friendly terms and live to talk about it? "How did you make it out alive?" he asked.

"The same way I did both times Vicious tried taking over the Van," Akina replied, sighing softly. "I ran!" She closed her eyes for a minute, recreating those moments just two weeks ago in her mind. "That night, I just so happened to be in a room five floors below where Vicious was. I felt each blast you set off, but was too paralyzed to move. By the time I decided to run, all that could be heard downstairs was silence. But before I could leave, there was a guy walking downstairs with more scars and blood draining from his body than I could imagine seeing in the headquarters." She looked into Spike's eyes. "After everything cooled down, I snuck you out and brought you here."

"You could have gotten yourself killed," Spike said, staring at Akina.

"I know," she said. "But it was the least I could do, both for Julia and Shin."

"How did you meet them?" Spike asked.

"When I first joined the Syndicate," Akina began, "Shin was my partner. He taught me everything I know and spoke very highly of this man who he said he looked up to almost like an older brother. A year ago, he introduced me to this woman. Wait…let me back up. This woman showed up here once, looking for Shin. A few days later, she returned with him. She stayed here for a while. It took me a long time to ask her why she was hiding out. When she finally told me, I felt bad for her. Granted, I felt uneasy about Vicious, but I didn't quite understand why he'd chase after an ex-girlfriend like that. It's not like he hadn't been with other women in the last couple years!" She looked over to see Spike clenching his fists and decided to stop talking. Looking at his tray, she smiled. "Do you want more? There's some in the kitchen."

"No thanks," Spike replied.

Akina looked into his eyes sadly. "What were their last words?" she asked.

Spike sighed. "The last thing Julia said was, 'It was all just a dream,'" he replied. "Shin last told me he was waiting for me to come back and take over."

"He thought of you as family," Akina said. "I wonder sometimes if he thought of you as his brother more than even Lin." She looked down, unable to speak any longer. She didn't want to cry in front of this man who she felt she knew but, at the same time, was a stranger. "I can't think of anyone he cared more about than you."

"He was a good guy," Spike said, never looking up. "The difference between him and Lin lied on what they believed in. Lin put his faith in the syndicate. Shin, on the other hand…"

"Put his faith in you," Akina said, finishing Spike's sentence. "He didn't have room to believe in anyone else." She shook, but tried desperately.

Spike looked up at Akina, finally understanding what she was talking about. He smiled to himself. She reminded him of himself when he first left the syndicate. "I think, when it came to the Dragons, he looked at everyone separately," Spike told Akina. "He trusted me because he was assigned to work with me since he first joined. He trusted Julia because I trusted her. When he saw how she worked, he began to trust her. Beyond that, I don't really know."

"He's special that way," Akina said.

"So when did you fall in love with him?" Spike asked.

Akina looked at him with shock coating her eyes. How did he know? "I really don't know," she finally replied. "It just happened." She looked at Spike. "How did you know?"

Spike smiled. "You remind me of someone I know," he replied.

* * *

A young woman strutted through the streets of Tharsis. Everything about her radiated sex. With every step she took, men followed her sway with their eyes and…heads. She smiled seductively, knowing she was being watched but not really caring. Her eyes gazed from side to side, checking for the address scrawled on the piece of paper she held in her hand. Finally finding the building, she walked in and took a seat at the bar.

"What'll it be?" the bartender, whom looked much younger than her, asked.

"I'll take a bourbon," she replied, smiling sweetly. "And some information."

The bartender looked at the woman, puzzled. Don't women like her realize that asking questions in bars always leads to trouble? He finally shrugged his shoulders and handed her his best bourbon. "What kind?"

"I'm looking for a certain gentleman," she replied, sipping her drink. "He was part of a certain organization and I'd like to know where he is now."

The bartender couldn't help but smile. So, he thought, the lady's looking for some loser that skipped town on her. "What's the guy's name?"

"Spiegel," the lady replied, making everyone within six feet of her cough down their drinks.

The bartender looked at the woman, ready to pass out. Just before he fainted, something his mother always said crossed his mind: sexy women in a bar always spell trouble.


	4. The Chosen One

**The Chosen One**

(two weeks after Red Dragon attack)

It's been two whole weeks. Two lousy, dragged-out weeks. Where the hell is that lunkhead? Why the hell haven't we heard from him?

He can't be dead…can he?

The more Faye tried to avoid thinking about him, the worse her thoughts became. She'd dreamed every situation she could imagine happening. Spike kicked Vicious into the next century. Vicious sliced Spike to pieces and let that damn bird of his munch on what was left. Spike shot Vicious in the head, but was taken out by a resurrected Julia who discovered that she loved Vicious after all. Spike never made it to Vicious, but was instead killed by a syndicate underling. Spike killed Vicious after a long, drawn-out pause like one would see in the movies, but was so bloodied up that he died before leaving the building. Vicious killed Spike and was working on finding her and Jet to finish the job. Spike killed Vicious, made it out of the syndicate headquarters, found his ship smashed up and was somehow on his way back to her and Jet.

The more crazy ideas that entered Faye's mind, the more she tried shaking them away. Spike took care of himself just fine before she met him, so why should she worry about him now?

"The same reason that lunkhead and I watch out for each other, though I'd kill him if he ever made me admit it and I know he'd be the same way with me," Faye thought to herself.

She walked around the Bebop, thinking. Deep down, a part of her wondered what to do at this point. Granted, Jet was still around and there will always be more bounties to capture. "But it's not the same," Faye whispered, gazing at the harmonica sitting next to the couch. She couldn't help but shake her head. "How the hell do we keep getting ourselves in so many fucked up situations?" Faye laughed. "The beauties of bounty hunting."

Jet walked in, curious where the laughing was coming from. He stopped when he noticed Faye staring at a harmonica. He wanted to say something, anything at all to comfort her. Unfortunately, the words didn't come. Then again, when do words come easy to tortured souls trying to comfort one another?

Faye looked up after having the feeling that she was being watched. She smiled a soft but nonetheless sad smile and sighed. "What made you get tangled up with Spike in the first place?" she finally asked Jet.

Jet looked at Faye, confused. "Why?" he asked her.

Faye shrugged her shoulders. "You look like you're in the mood to talk, so I asked you a question," she replied.

Jet nodded, sitting next to her on the couch. He looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "He smashed up my Hammerhead," Jet finally said.

Faye looked at him, confused. "What?" she asked in between bouts of laughter.

Jet sighed. He never was a fan of repeating himself. "I was visiting an old friend not too far from TJ once and this kid comes flying by in a reddish ship…and managed to land the back of his ship on top of the Hammerhead. He looked out, screamed 'Shit!' and moved his ship. The kid gets out and gets ready to say something smart to me, but gets a good look at me and decides not to. We start talking and just hit it off."

Jet walked off for a minute, grabbing a double shot of gin for both him and for Faye. After sitting down again with the gin, he continued. "A few days later, I was tracking a bounty and this guy shows up. He was tracking the exact same bounty and was hiding long enough to calculate a good time to attack. At some point, during all the repositioning, we bumped into each other. After exchanging info, the bounty made a stupid move…"

"Don't they all?" Faye asked, butting in.

"Yeah, they do," Jet replied. "Spike jumped into action in his usual way and knocked the hell outta the guy." Jet laughed to himself. "This kept happening for about two or three of the bounties I chased after that night. Eventually, we just partnered up."

Faye nodded, moving around on the couch to become comfortable again. "Have you two always gotten along?" she asked.

Jet nodded. "Since you have me answering so many questions, I have one of my own," he said to Faye. "What made you stay here?"

Faye shrugged her shoulders. "What makes anyone stay in one place instead of another?" she replied. "You get used to what's around you and just…settle." She closed her eyes. "No one can run forever. That lunkhead proved that pretty damn well!"

Jet looked at Faye sternly, then stood up to walk away. There was no way he was ready to face that set of thoughts just yet. He definitely wasn't ready to explain those thoughts to the likes of Faye.

* * *

Waiting, waiting waiting… 

Faye was growing sicker and sicker of waiting by the second. Why hadn't she and Jet gone searching for him yet? Was there something Jet knew that she didn't? Where the hell was that lunkhead?

Frustrated, Faye began packing a small bag of items: her precious Glock, food rations, a couple outfits to change into, and enough money to survive on for the next three months…assuming she didn't find a "surefire win" or a sale of some sort in the meantime.

Jet passed by Faye's room, noticing a halfway packed bag and scattered clothing across the room. Confused, he popped his head in. "Going somewhere?" he asked. Faye looked up, halfway between hurt and determined. Jet sensed that nothing good could come from this. "Where to?"

"Searching," Faye finally replied, looking Jet square in the eye.

Jet grunted. Sure, he wanted to go searching for Spike. Hell, had he gotten himself together sooner, Spike wouldn't have left. Granted, Jet sort of understood the reason…or so he thought. However, that didn't mean he accepted it. "Don't," Jet finally said.

Faye stopped packing, clenching her fists. "You're gonna tell me that Spike, our partner, your BEST FRIEND, isn't worth being searched for?" she asked, trying not to yell or cry.

"He didn't leave here with a search party following in mind," Jet eventually replied. He could no longer look at Faye. It hurt too much to see the pain in her eyes.

Faye, no longer wishing to dignify Jet with answers, continued packing. "How can he be so heartless?" she asked herself again and again. "If Spike were my best friend…" She stopped herself, almost paralyzed by her thinking. What was Spike to her? A partner? A comrade? A pain-in-the-ass? A lunkhead? A close friend? A love interest? She laughed at the idea of Spike being her boyfriend or lover. "Maybe I'll ask him when I see him again," she thought to herself.

Jet watched Faye's preparations, cursing himself for not offering to help. "There's nothing I can do," he reasoned with himself. Deep down, he rejected his own thinking. However, he thought Spike's departure was purely a pride issue mixed with a hint of protective instinct and couldn't bring himself to interfere. "A man has to deal with his issues on his own," Jet thought.

Faye walked into the hangar to prepare for taking off. She threw her stuff into the Red Tail, looking around. Something about the hangar and the entire situation just didn't seem right. Faye couldn't quite put her finger on what that something was, but she could feel it deep down. Eventually, she shrugged it away and prepared to leave the Bebop. In a vid screen, Jet popped up shortly after she started the ship. "If you need anything, you know where to find me," Jet said to her.

"You should be the one doing this!" Faye yelled. "There's more to this than pride, you know!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Jet yelled. "But…he's got to deal with his issues himself!"

"Vicious is dead!" Faye yelled. "For all we know, Spike…"

Faye cut herself short, looking over to her right. It finally occurred to her why things didn't feel right.

The last time she was in the hangar was three days ago. The difference between then and now is the difference of one ship.

"What the hell?" Faye asked herself, gaining a whole new resolve for finding the lunkhead.


	5. She Said: Creative Interlude

**She Said**

Just taking a quick pause to thank those of you who have read the story and either keep coming back to see if I updated or left a review (or two). Thank you!

Honestly, I was rereading through the story and comments and started trying to figure out what you guys may have either asked yourselves or thought about. I really couldn't come up with much, so if you have questions, feel free to shoot me an email with them.

- The song in Chapter One: It's a Janet Jackson song called, "Where Are You Now?" from her album, janet. She happens to be one of my favorite artists and this song happens to be my absolute favorite of hers because it hits home.

- Electra's Appearance: I thought it'd be fun to throw Electra into the story just because she and Spike play against each other so well. When I watched the movie, I could see them either being a couple or best friends in an alternate universe. So, this is the closest to the alternate universe I'll ever see.

- Romantic interests: I thought about this being a Faye/Spike story. Someone mentioned the idea of an Ed/Spike story. I even thought of doing an Electra/Spike story, just because that's not explored enough in my opinion. But you know…right now, I think it should be mostly as it was in the series: flirting, comedy, but no romance between the characters. That, of course, could change.

- Updates: I usually take a day (or in some cases a few hours) off after finishing a chapter before beginning the next. I have no idea, especially in the case of "Mama Always Said" and "The Chosen One" what the outcome would be…or the story I would tell in the chapter. I've just let my imagination run wild whenever I have an idea and time to type it up. I couldn't even begin to tell you how often I'll update in the future. All I can say is check back at least once a week or so.

All I can suggest is sit back, enjoy the ride, and let me know what you think and any suggestions or opinions you may have.


	6. One In A Million

**One In A Million**

(moments after Faye left)

Jet ran toward the hangar to figure out just what Fay was so confused about. "That damn woman almost tore the damn ship up!" Jet thought, wondering if the so-called shrew had suddenly snapped. Sure, she'd had what he assumed was her way of mourning for Spike. She was suddenly much rougher with her bounties, knocking the shit out of every man who looked like he would run away from his problems. None of those things, in Jet's mind anyway, struck cords in Faye even remotely as much as whatever the hell she saw in the hangar.

As soon as he arrived, he froze. There was something disturbing about the hangar, but Jet couldn't quite figure out why. The second he opened the door he almost collapsed. "What the Hell?" he asked himself, yelling. "Where'd it go?"

* * *

_Two weeks ago…_

"Hey," Jet said, answering his COM. "What's going on? Any good bounties floating around?"

The man on the other end of the call wasn't quite so…engaging is the only word that comes to mind. "Nope," the man replied. "Things are unusually quiet since your partner took out the Red Dragons."

Jet sighed, readjusting his position. He wasn't very comfortable talking about Spike's stunt. Then again, it was just a few hours ago that he'd heard the news. "I see," Jet finally said, readjusting his position again.

Jet's caller, Bob, looked at his friend. He wished he knew what the Black Dog was thinking, but didn't want to intrude. It's no secret cops like Bob and the Black Dog were close, if only on a morality level. He sighed. His news wasn't exactly the most pleasant to discuss, but needed to be said. "I don't know if you still want it, but we have his ship in our custody," Bob said.

"I'll pick it up later," Jet said, almost lost in his thoughts.

Bob turned around for a second, looking over the police report. His eyes suddenly widened, as if caught by surprise. "We didn't find his body?" Bob asked, unknowingly aloud.

"What?" Jet asked, confused.

Bob put down the paper, staring at Jet. "I'm not saying this to give you hope, since there were explosives used in multiple areas of the Red Dragons lair," Bob said. "But no one found a body."

Jet merely stared at his friend, wondering if he should start a search or find his partner's bloody remains to bury him properly.

* * *

_Back to the present…_

Jet stood in the doorway, dumbfounded. He looked around for a second, wondering if he'd find the Red Tail somewhere inside the hangar. However, there was no such luck. When his senses finally returned, Jet closed the door and walked towards the living area. The one thought that constantly crossed his mind was why Spike would return for the ship but wouldn't say anything to Faye or even him. "I'm starting to think like Faye," Jet smirked to himself. "What were we to him?" Trying not to become as overdramatic as Faye, he instead sat with beloved bonsai and began carefully cutting them.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Frustrated with the bartender's reaction, Faye glanced around her audience of drunken men, hoping one of them could tell him the aftermath of the Syndicate showdown. She smiled at all of them. Before anyone could react beyond smiling back, Faye drew her Glock and shot at the ceiling. "I want answers!" she yelled.

A single patron just beyond her immediate shooting range laughed. "We don't know nothing about no syndicate guys," he said.

Faye shot a dirty look at him and the rest of the bar's patrons. "Then why did you all choke when I mentioned his name?" she asked.

"Who the hell hasn't heard about that guy around here," the man replied. "He was one of the most ruthless of the Dragons and, three years ago, suddenly is declared dead. We all wanted to know what could have taken out that kind of killing machine! And now, all of a sudden, he shows up again and blows the hell outta the Syndicate building. It just doesn't make sense!"

Faye smiled, sitting down at the bar again and helping herself to a bottle of brandy. "Tell me more," she said to the man and anyone else in the bar offering information.

The man closest to her eyed her from head to toe and licked his lips. "What's in it for us if we help you?" he asked.

Faye smiled seductively, lifting her gun up to the man's temple. "You and the rest of these guys live to see tomorrow," she whispered in his ear, cocking a bullet into place.

The man panicked, trying not to cry. "All right! All right! We'll talk!" he yelled, trying to calm what he thought was a very pissed woman. Once Faye put the gun on the counter, he sighed. "Geez lady, how the hell did you get tangled up with a man like him?"

* * *

_A few hours earlier…_

Spike woke up in a cold sweat. Much like his days before the showdown with Vicious, he had yet another nightmare. However, the nightmare changed dramatically. Spike shook his head, trying to recall the entire thing…

Spike walked through a dark street. He eventually ran into a young woman and her young son. The woman, dressed in what Spike imagined was a kimono, walked towards a tall dark building, her son in her arms. The young child, who couldn't be much older than two years old, had bushy hair and a seemingly angelic look about him. The woman walked into the building, pausing in front long enough to turn towards where Spike was standing with a look of desperation and despair on her face. She sat her son down on the stoop and pulled out what looked like a COM so she could make a call. Three seconds later, she was shot. Her blood splattered all over the young boy, who continued to sleep soundly as if everything was right with the world.

_Spike then appeared in a small convenience store. The woman behind the counter explained to a teenager the difference between men and women. The teenager smiled, eying one of the few magazines that started on Earth and continued to publish – Playboy. He then turned to find a picture behind the counter. The woman was standing next to two men. One of them was a man who had pretty much taken to him as a son. The other man, however, he'd never met. "Hey Annie," the boy began, "who's that other man in the picture?" Annie never directly answered, but instead traced the boy's cheekbones and smiled sadly. "I think he would've liked who you became," she said. "But then again, you don't know how to listen to your elders." The boy nodded. He knew that Annie meant well and was worried about him. Spike looked at the entire scene, shaking his head. "She never did tell me who that other man was," he said to himself. When he looked up again, he saw Annie slumped over a couch, on the verge of death. He turned around…_

Spike trembled. "Why am I remembering all this now?" he asked himself. "Those women are long gone. They both died in front of me." He grimaced. "Julia makes three." He sat up in bed, staring down at the floor. "Now what?" Spike suddenly had a random thought, grabbed a few dollars from Akina, and ran towards the YMCA to track the Bebop's location and some choice information.

* * *

_A few days later..._

Jet wandered the Bebop, trying to understand what was going on. As far as he was concerned, he succeeded in killing his bonsai yet again. Moments like that always require a walk, he told himself. It was just stress, right?

Jet eventually found himself in front of Spike's door. Jet sighed, staring at the door for a few moments and turning to walk away. He smiled to himself. "That kid was truly one in a million," Jet thought. A couple seconds later, Spike's door opened. Jet turned around, caught by surprise. Once he saw what was behind him, he became paler than usual. All Jet heard was the commonplace phrase he'd heard so many times: **Yo**.


	7. Got to Burn to Shine

**Got to Burn to Shine**

(Three to five weeks after the Syndicate showdown)

Spike smiled, looking into the eyes of his partner for the first time in weeks. Jet, on the other hand, looked like he was about to faint. The older cowboy tried to speak, but could do nothing more than a grunt.

* * *

The men stood this way for what seemed like an eternity, each unsure what to say to the other. 

The opening of the hatch and light yet, at the same time, heavy footsteps, disturbed the silent reacquaintance. Faye walked down the hall, talking as if Jet was standing in front of her. "I tried every lead I could find, and a few that I received at gunpoint," she said, walking towards the bedrooms. "I didn't even get a…" The sighting of a certain green-haired lunkhead disturbed her revelation.

Spike stepped between Jet and Faye, smiling his trademark smile. "Yo," he said.

Faye stared at him, a mix of emotions surging throughout her. Part of her wanted to run up to him and deliver a kiss that he wouldn't soon forget. This part was wrestling with a deep desire to kick him where he'll never forget. Yet another part wanted to scream and curse at him. More than anything, though, she just wanted to forget the past few weeks.

Spike looked at her, judging how he should approach her. Noticing she was in a yelling mood, he walked closer to her. As soon as he was within three feet of Faye, he was met with a pain that forced him to hold his stomach. When the pain subsided long enough for Spike to look up, she was gone.

* * *

The ancient music device played a tune that was at least 70 years old. The listener, however, was more concerned with personal feelings and who the lyrics to the song reminded her of. 

_You're dead, but the world keeps spinning._

_Take a spin through the world you left._

_It's getting dark a little too early._

_Are you missing the dearly bereft?_

Electra laid across her couch, somewhere between pissed and crying. "What the hell were you thinking?" she yelled.

_Take a flight and you could be here tomorrow._

_Take a flight. Well, you could get here tonight._

_I'm gonna fly on down for the last stop to this town._

_I'm gonna fly on down, then fly away._

_Well, all right._

Electra yelled and screamed, restraining herself from throwing things. Her captain had recently called to suggest she watch a news report that scared even the shadiest characters of Curious Medical. She sighed, wishing she could see the logic in what was done.

_Taking a spin through the neighborhood,_

_The neighbors scream "What you talkin' bout?"_

_'cause they didn't know how to let you in_

_and I can't let you out._

Electra's COM began to buzz, but she didn't notice. Rather, she was temporarily sucked into the song.

_What if I was not your only friend in this world?_

_Would you take me where you're going_

_if you're never coming back?_

Electra sighed, finally noticing her COM dancing across the makeshift coffee table. "Hello?" she said, not looking to see who was calling.

"Yo," her caller replied.

Before anyone knew it, the COM lay on the ground, broken.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was disturbingly quiet. To say there was tension in the air was child's play compared to the atmosphere of the Bebop. 

Jet glanced at his two partners, worried. Faye still hadn't said a word to anyone since seeing Spike. She couldn't even look up from her breakfast, which remained in front of her in tact. Spike couldn't look up, either. He had a look of shock and hurt across his face. Most likely, Jet thought, Spike was still upset about the blow to the stomach. Jet sighed, standing to clean up the kitchen.

All moments where two or three of the cowboys were together passed in the same way for about two weeks. Jet didn't know how to bring up the Red Dragon stunt, Faye didn't know how to express her feelings (even though punching Spike helped), and Spike didn't discuss.

A few days later, Faye walked around the ship in search of a pair of shoes. She stumbled across Spike's workout room and peeked inside. As usual, Spike was practicing his kicks and punches. When he attempted a windmill kick, however, he doubled over in pain. Faye opened the door and noticed the long scar across his stomach. Her eyes widened and guilt was added to her long list of emotions connected to the lunkhead.

Spike looked up, finally noticing his audience. He followed her gaze and gave a bittersweet smile in return. "The lesson of the day," he began, "never piss off a guy with a katana."


	8. Born Under A Bad Sign

**Born Under A Bad Sign**

(six weeks after the syndicate showdown)

Jet woke up after hearing the sound of a hatch opening. Groggy and none to happy about getting up so early (after all, it was only about 8:00 a.m. Ganymede time), he stumbled into the tiny kitchen that he shared with the other two cowboys.

On the way, he found a note attached to the Vid screen. "Off to see Doohan. Back when the overhaul's done. Spike." Jet read, sighing once he finished. "Man! He couldn't wait a couple hours?" Jet sighed, stumbling back to bed. "When did he become such a morning person?"

* * *

The Swordfish II could be heard across the desert of a place that dares to call itself the birthplace of humanity. Spike sighed, wondering what it was like for Ed growing up in such a wasteland, as well as what it was like when Faye was younger. 

"Since when did I start caring so much?" he questioned himself with a sheepish smile. The more he thought about the many people he'd come to know beyond a quick acquaintance, the more he wanted to know about them. It was something he kept to himself most of the time, but it was still there nonetheless.

The ship screeched above what was once known as Chicago. Spike looked out, gazing at a deep mud pit that was once known as Lake Michigan. Earthlings, he was once told, used the mud pit as a bathing pool. Spike shook the idea out of his mind, laughing at the absurdity of it all. He and Swordfish finally came to rest in front of the all-too-familiar shop that sat in the middle of what seemed like nowhere.

Bang!

Spike shook his head, wondering what kind of contraption Doohan was playing with at the time. Much like his last trip to the shop, Doohan greeted Spike with a grunt and a few tiny flames burning out alongside his shoulders.

He gazed in front of him, smiling when he noticed the remodeled space shuttle Columbia in front of him. "You never give up, do you?" Spike said, walking into the shop.

"You know me, boy," Doohan began, checking Swordfish while he talked, "I have a knack for taking in lost souls and stabilizing them for further use."

Spike looked at him, wondering if he was talking about Columbia and Swordfish or him. Deciding he'd rather not think about things like that at the moment, Spike walked into Doohan's office to put on a pot of coffee.

When he returned, Doohan was finished giving Swordfish its diagnostic test. Hearing Spike approach and smelling the coffee in his hands, he looked up. "You didn't put too much sugar in it again, did you?" Doohan asked.

Spike smiled, throwing his hands in the air. "You know me," Spike replied.

"Exactly," Doohan said, sipping the coffee.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Faye screamed at the top of her lungs. "It's cold! Why the hell does it have to be so damn cold?" Frustrated, she looked down on her skin, noticing red bumps beginning to appear. "Just what I needed," she fumingly muttered. "They'll be bruises by noon."

Minutes later, Faye and Jet sat down for some breakfast. It wasn't anything fancy, just toast and coffee. Faye looked around, wondering why it was so quiet. She tried catching Jet's eyes to see if anything was wrong, but got nothing from him. So, she decided to demand his attention. "Did the Lunkhead run away again?" she asked her partner. "What damsel in distress did he run after this time?"

Jet shook his head, wondering how Faye could be so cold one minute and seem so caring the next. It must be what happens when women have dealt with so many bad men in their lifetime, Jet thought to himself. "His baby," Jet finally told her.

"Baby?" Faye asked, shocked. After a moment of consideration, she laughed to herself. "So how long did he say he'd be on Earth?"

"He didn't," Jet replied. "Why are you so damn curious about it?"

"No reason," Faye told him, smiling into her cup of coffee.

* * *

_Back to Earth…a few moments later…_

"I heard about you on Miles' radio a couple weeks back," Doohan mentioned, seemingly out of nowhere.

Spike smiled, knowing exactly where the conversation was heading. "Is that right?" he said.

"You've really got to stop scaring me like that," Doohan said. "One of these days, you're gonna pull a stunt like that and not come back from it!"

"Well," Spike said, stretching, "whatever happens…"

"Don't give me that crap, boy," Doohan said. "There's more to you than that and we both know it!"

Spike sighed, wondering if he should tell Doohan about his latest episode just after he woke up. "The dreams are back," he finally said.

"Which ones?" Doohan asked. "The ones about your mother or that Julia woman?"

Spike lowered his head at the mention of Julia. He hadn't truly dealt with that part of his heart and mind just yet. Rather, he was more concerned with survival (though he couldn't quite figure out why), protection and revenge. The mention of her name brought chills to his bones.

Doohan watched Spike's reaction curiously. The kid had never reacted quite like that around him. He especially hadn't ever had a reaction like that at the mention of his mother or the other woman. "Is there something you hadn't told me just yet?" Doohan asked cautiously.

"She's dead," Spike replied, never moving his head.

"Oh," Doohan said. "Damn." The room was silent for what seemed like hours.

"I dreamed about her, too," Spike finally said.

Doohan looked up at him. This kid's been through something, he thought. "What happened this time?" he asked.

"She was taking me into a building," Spike replied. "She sat me down for a minute, long enough to look for her COM. Next thing I know, she's on the ground, dead."

"I see," Doohan said, standing up. Motioning for Spike to follow, Doohan led Spike toward the very back of his shop. Curious, Spike watched as Doohan pulled out a metal box. Doohan handed the box to Spike, then turned toward his office and walked away.

Spike, wondering what was in the box, walked over to and sat inside his prized baby. Opening a box, he found two pictures as well as a few papers and other items.

One picture was of a man and a woman. The man had bushy green hair and the woman had brownish-red eyes. The woman was rubbing her stomach, smiling. Spike assumed the bushy-headed man was his father and the woman with brownish-red eyes was his mother. Clipped to that picture, he found a newspaper clipping. The headline said, "KUNG-FOO MASTER MURDERED, ASSUMED SYNDICATE JOB."

The next picture was of a woman and a baby. The woman was the same as in the other picture. She was cuddling her baby, a look of pride and sadness displayed in her eyes. The baby was reaching for what Spike guessed was the camera that took the picture.

Attached to that picture was a poem of some sort. As Spike read over it, he realized it was an explanation of the situation surrounding the baby in the picture. Not wanting to consider the messages within the poem any further (for the time being, anyway), he kept digging.

The next item he found was yet another news clipping. This one said, "WOMAN FOUND DEAD, BABY BELIEVED SERIOUSLY WOUNDED." Spike sighed to himself. It seems everyone who gets close to me ends up dead, Spike thought to himself. Unknowingly, he said it out loud.

"Yet I'm still here," Doohan said, looking in on Spike from his office doorway.

"Why did you give me this?" Spike asked. "Where did you get all this stuff?"

Doohan smiled, convinced he would not answer that question. "You know," Doohan began, "it's funny what I can buy from Reggie sometimes." He walked closer to Spike. "And I figured you'd wanna know the truth."

Spike gazed at the box, unsure how to handle it. "All it holds for me now are painful memories," he said softly. He gazed from the box to his precious Jericho. "Is that the same box you found this in?" Spike showed Doohan the gun.

"It was your mother's," Doohan replied.


	9. Blue Moon: Creative Interlude II

**Blue Moon: Creative Interlude**

Just popping in again to thank all of you for keeping up with the story and/or reviewing. I sincerely apologize for the delay between chapters. Between finals, my computer crashing just before finals, and Winter Break mess (a much longer story than the one I'm telling via this site), the story (unfortunately) took a back burner to other things that were going on in my life.

I wanted to mention a few more tidbits before I go again:

-jumping between flashbacks and the actual story- I tend to tell stories in this fashion both in my writing and orally. I apologize if it sometimes seems confusing. It's something I've been trying to work on, especially after it was brought to my attention.

-the song in "Got to Burn to Shine"- The song is by The Eels and is called "Last Stop This Town." I don't remember the name of the Bebop AMV I heard it in, but I became addicted to the song soon afterward.

-Spike's comment about the lesson of the day (also in "Got to Burn to Shine")- That idea came from Episode 11, "Toys in the Attic."

-the return of Doohan ("Born Under A Bad Sign")- I don't know about the rest of you, but I got a sort of uncle-nephew feeling when watching him and Spike interact with each other. At the very least, I could see a mentor-mentee relationship connection. So, I just ran with it. Beyond that, the entire chapter was just an explanation of the flashbacks that were mentioned in "One In A Million."

-the added category- To be perfectly honest with you guys, I did not originally plan to have more humor than drama in the story. I actually planned for it to be somewhat dark. However, the style I used for the story seemed to be working, so I just ran with it. The change finally came after both my younger brother and my boyfriend said how funny the story was. I still might give the story a dark undertone, but we'll see. "Born Under A Bad Sign" is a testing of using both a somewhat sad/dark and a humor tone in the story. Let me know what you guys think of it!

That's all I can think of at the moment. Again, if you have any questions or suggestions for me, shoot me an email about it. Thanks again and stay tuned!


	10. All The Love Has Gone

**All The Love Has Gone**

Six months after the showdown

"Hello?" a woman said, trying to call the Bebop. "Is anybody there?"

Faye, who happened to be walking through the kitchen at the time, answered the call. "Hi," she said. "Can I help you?"

The woman stared at Faye for a couple minutes, wondering if she should tell Faye what she needed. Finally deciding she had nothing to lose, she said, "I need to speak with Spike. Is he there?"

"No, he isn't," Faye replied, curious who the woman was. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Just…a friend of a friend," the woman replied. "Can you please have him call me back? I have the coordinates of where he can find Julia."

"Julia?" Faye asked, gasping. Once she got herself together, she stared down the woman. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Julia's dead."

"Very true," the woman replied. "But everyone deserves some form of closure, right?"

Faye began fuming at the idea of Spike running off and "dying" again. "Wait just a…!"

The woman hung up as soon as she noticed Faye begin to start fuming. She sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "I hope that now you two can finally rest in peace," the woman said, staring down at a place Spike was about to learn existed. "Goodbye, my love."

* * *

Faye walked from one end of the ship to the other, trying to think. "What the hell am I supposed to do about that woman?" she asked herself, balling her hands into tight fists. "Since when did I become the damn messenger woman! Why the hell is this my fucking problem?" 

In the middle of ranting about her current predicament, Faye passed by Jet tending to his bonsais. Jet looked up, noticing Faye walking around with her fists balled up. "What's the matter with you?" Jet asked as she passed.

Faye paused, wondering if she should tell Jet what was going on. _Why the hell is it always me who gets stuck telling Jet_? Faye asked herself. Finally resolving to tell very little before talking to Spike, she shook her head and said, "I need to talk to him first."

Jet scratched his head, confused. "To who?" he asked, wondering what had gotten into her.

Faye sighed, closing her eyes. "The lunkhead with the fuzzy hair," she replied, storming off.

Jet rolled his eyes. "What now, Faye?" he asked, wondering if he was feeling a case of déjà-vu or, at the very least, a bad taste of nostalgia.

"Where is he?" Faye demanded yet again.

Jet sighed, knowing nothing good could come from whatever it was she had to say. "Workout room," he finally told her, wondering if he had signed his partner's death warrant yet again.

* * *

Thwap! Thwap! Bop! Swoosh! Thwap! 

The sounds of Spike kicking and punching his bag could be heard through the door of the workout room. Sweat dripped from Spike's face as he panted. Guess I should ease up on my workouts for a bit, Spike told himself for what seems like the millionth time. Though the scar was healing nicely, the recovery was relatively slow compared to what it should be. Then again, it's to be expected from a person who practices Jeet Kune Do twice daily for an hour per session.

Faye stopped before the door, trying to figure out how she would pass along the strange message. Faye sighed and attempted to open the door, only to withdraw her hand and place it back on her side. "Why the hell is it always me?" she asked herself, frustrated by her lack of nerve.

The door of the workout room soon opened, disturbing Faye's train of thought. Spike looked down, confused. "What do you want, Faye?" he asked.

Faye looked up for a brief moment, continuing to think. "You had a message," she finally replied.

"From who?" Spike asked.

"Beats the living hell outta me," Faye replied. "She only said she was a friend of a friend. She wanted you to call her back."

Spike shook his head, feeling a headache approaching. "I can't do that if I don't know who the hell she is!" he yelled.

Mildly upset, Faye yelled back. "Not my fault she didn't give me a name!" she said. "All I know about the damn woman is she said something about knowing how to find Julia and knowing she was dead!"

Spike paused, unable to move. That sealed door again, Spike thought to himself. Jet put it best: they're just the key to a secret door, a door that should remain closed. Spike closed his eyes. "Where am I supposed to meet her?" he said, knowing exactly who would have the balls to call the Bebop and discuss Julia now.

"Didn't say," Faye replied, studying the look on Spike's face. One thing I can't figure out about you, she thought to herself, is why the hell you haven't gotten your feelings about her death out in the open.

"Anything else you wanna say?" Spike asked, noticing the sudden change in Faye's eyes. Knowing her, she had something to say.

"When are you gonna mourn?" Faye asked in return, looking at him funny.

Spike became slightly frustrated and leaned into Faye's face. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked in a low voice. "Cry? Pout? Scream? Sorry, but that's not my style."

Faye, unlike the last time Spike moved that close to her, fumed with anger. "You could at least act like you give a damn!"

Spike shook his head, walking toward the living room. "I'm afraid I'm too numb to react like you want me to."

Faye remained in the hallway, stunned.

* * *

_Six hours later…_

The Swordfish glided through the air, leaving a streak of manufactured clouds in its wake. Spike vaguely concentrated on where he was going, since the particular route he was taking was all-too familiar to him. His destination was also a blast from the past, a place where he hoped never to visit again. "Such is my life," Spike said softly, gazing down at the housing division underneath him.

As he got closer to his destination, his heart began to sink. The key, so it seems, had been permanently jammed into the door lock. The only way to close that door again, therefore, would be to fix the lock. Spike rolled his eyes, wondering where the stupid ass lock metaphor came from. I've been around Jet too long, he thought to himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, Spike noticed a ship following him. His lips curled slightly. "What an odd surprise," he thought to himself.

The ship tailing Swordfish, of course, was none other than the Red Tail. Faye gazed at the landscape, her mind lost in her thoughts. For some reason, the words of an old woman she saw at the airport just before Spike's syndicate bout rang through her mind.

_So there's no place for me after all. Well, I'm not going and that's that_, the woman said, unknowingly aloud. _I don't want to be where I'm not welcome_.

"For once, I felt like someone understood," Faye said. "I wonder if Spike feels that way now. Hell, I know he did before all this shit went down. I can only imagine what's going through that lunkhead's mind now."

Spike, meanwhile, continued to soar through the air and keep an eye on his fellow bounty hunter. What the hell is she up to, he wondered. "Faye," Spike said, talking to her via the ship computer.

"Hmm?" Faye replied, pulled away from her thoughts yet again.

"Where do you want me to meet you later on?" he asked.

"I'll wait by the graveyard," she replied. "By the graves…"

"Not in them," Spike said, having a feeling of déjà-vu.

"Huh?" Faye asked, confused.

**­­­­­­­­­­­­­**

"Never mind," Spike said, a bittersweet smile crossing his face.

* * *

To an ordinary person, the graveyard along First Street was nothing unusual. To Spike, however, that piece of land reflected the day he started running, the day he met his so-called "one and only" for the first time in years, and now the day he was to say his good-byes forever. 

It was raining that day as well.

With roses the shade of blood in hand, Spike entered the quaint graveyard. His stony façade was an understatement of what he truly felt inside. The trip itself was bittersweet. On the one hand, he was glad to finally see the final piece of his story with the Dragons close. However, he wished the story had a different ending.

As directed, Spike made his way to the back and right of the entrance. The path to the graves, much like Spike's perception of life, had many twists and turns with no particular direction or destination in mind. His eyes first fell upon Shin's grave. With a small sigh, he took two roses and put them on his departed friend's grave. "Take care," Spike finally whispered.

* * *

Faye, meanwhile, leaned back in Red Tail's cockpit, smoking a cigarette. Her eyes focused on her partner. "I don't know whether to be jealous of him, pity him, or just ignore him," she said. "At least _he_ got to bury his loved ones. Didn't quite work out the same way with me." 

The more her thoughts about the past traveled, the closer they came to the present. Faye looked up at Spike again, thinking more about the woman he came to see than the man Faye's come to know and…tolerate. I loved her car, she thought to herself.

_Tell him I'll keep waiting_.

I don't think I'll ever understand why you kept waiting for him, Faye thought. You were sure as hell strong enough to go without him. And you lived as long as you stayed away from him.

Wait a second! Her mind screamed. Did you really consider that? Do you honestly believe the path Spike leads always screams death?

Faye closed her eyes, considering an answer for such a question. "It only leads to death when he gets tangled up with his past," she finally told herself. After a few minutes, she walked into the graveyard.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Spike's attention soon turned to the grave of his beloved dark angel. The grave resembled Shin's except for a single phrase that was engraved: _It was all just a dream_.

With downcast eyes, Spike placed his remaining roses on her grave. He traced the phrase with his right index finger, a small pang of guilt in his heart. "I wanted to save you from all this," he whispered. "Guess there's no running after all."

_There will be a woman. You will be hunted by this woman. And then…death._

He's yet to be wrong, Spike thought to himself. But I would've given anything if it were you standing with me instead of me looking over your passage to wherever you're headed.

"I don't miss you as much as I thought I would, though," Spike whispered. "I guess a three year separation can do that." He stood, finally feeling like he would someday be able to heal from her tragic death. As he finally stood and turned around, he noticed a certain woman standing behind him.

The woman stared at Spike, a mixture of heartache and pain surging through her. She had no idea where the former emotion came from, but still rolled with it. She searched his eyes, begging for answers. Are you staying or leaving me again? She asked with her eyes, but received no answer, frustrating her even more than she already was.

Spike's eyes widened as a silver glock was pointed in his general direction and aimed. "Um, Faye…" he asked with a mutter, hoping he could rescue her from whatever level of pain she'd reached.

Bang!


	11. Papa Never Told You

Papa Never Told You

_Nearly four months after the Syndicate Showdown_

Mars City held approximately seventeen million people within its borders. Its main attraction was a tower that resembled Old Paris's Tour Eiffel. Beyond that simple piece, the city wasn't much different from any other Martian city. Many of the buildings were high-rise and very well protected from most types of attacks that destroyed countless buildings and infrastructures on Earth. The lake nearest Mars City, Hermesia, was nothing special compared to stories they had heard about some of Earth's greatest lakes. Though the city wasn't perfect, citizens of Mars City were very proud of its connection to the greatest pieces of the once-great Earth.

A young woman strolled up and down the streets of the city, trying to sort out many, many things in her mind. The one man who meant more than words could ever say had died nearly four months ago. To this day, she couldn't understand the true reason that he would choose the life he led rather than running away with her. His only reply was very sad, but very sincere, "Two of the people closest to me are running for their lives, separately, because they had the same dream you have." She sighed, continuing to stroll.

Moments later, she passed a bar that was renowned for its quality wines. Looking down at both her woolong card and an address scrawled on a sticky note that was taped to the back of the card, she smiled softly and walked inside the bar.

* * *

_The next day…_

"So that's how our little club works," a man explained to a small group of newcomers. "We keep the city safe from people that could and probably will harm the children someday. At first, we just worked with the police so they would place bounties on known criminals. These days, though, we've had to take matters into our hands."

"And just how do I fit into this merry little band?" one of the people sitting at the conference table asked.

"Well," the man began, "we need assassins that specialize in particular types of murders. We have a few vigilantes in our merry club, but they have never killed the types of people you have."

"Mister Hamyano…" the visitor said.

"Call me Niko," the man said.

"Fine then, Nikoooo," the visitor said, exaggerating. "What makes you think I want to belong to this vigilante club you're trying to build?"

"Two reasons, my dear," Niko said. "First, you came from…where did you say you were living these days?"

"Athenti City," the visitor replied.

"Right! Right!" Niko said. "I don't know why, but I keep thinking you still live in Tharsis."

"Whatever," the visitor said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway," Niko said, continuing, "the other reason is that you have yet to walk out of this room, screaming that the assignment was bullshit."

"Let's just say I need to repent of my past," the woman said.

"Glad to hear it!" Niko said. "Your first assignment is a group that you should be very familiar with."

"And just who would this group whom I suppose has royally pissed you off happen to be?" the woman asked, her interest finally peaked.

"The remnants of the Red Dragon Syndicate," Niko replied.

The woman's eyes widened, realizing she'd have to turn on the people whom had taken care of her since she was seventeen years old. "Exactly whom do you consider members of the syndicate?" she asked Niko.

"Any person whom has ever worked for or with the Syndicate," he replied.

Oh shit! the woman thought to herself. I don't think I can do this! "I think you have the wrong woman," she told Niko. "These people were once considered my family. The fact that you want me to turn on my family is an insult."

A person within the shadows walked up to the woman, holding a Persian Shamshir to her neck. "I don't believe you have a choice," Niko replied. "Either you help us or you die. I've told you far too much. You no longer have the option to refuse my noble request."

The woman looked at the sword, panicking as she saw the life flash before her eyes. The more she saw, the more violent the images became. The last image she saw, the one of collecting the bodies of her friends to cart out of the main building in Tharsis, made her reconsider her loyalty to the Syndicate. "Fine," she said. "I'll do it."

"Great!" Niko said, handing the woman another woolong card. "This should help you get started. I've also got a realtor in the lobby waiting for you. Pick out any place you wish. Once you've found a place, go get some new clothes. When you return to your place, everything will be on and ready for you."

"I'd thank you if I weren't forced to do this and there weren't a knife still caressing my neck," the woman said.

* * *

_One and a half months later_… 

The TV in the living room blasted a random action movie from the early part of the century. In front of the screen, a battle for control of the couch was underway. Meanwhile, the kitchen sizzled with dinner's special: bell peppers and beef sans beef.

"Move over Faye!" Spike yelled, shoving Faye towards the left arm of the couch.

"Move yourself, jackass!" Faye replied, throwing a punch at Spike. "I was here first!"

"Bullshit!" Spike yelled, grabbing Faye by the waist and lifting her in the air.

"Put me down, you damn Lunkhead!" Faye yelled, eying him angrily.

Spike smiled devilishly. "If you insist," he said, letting her drop butt-first onto the ground.

"Ass!" Faye mumbled under her breath. She got up from the ground and tried sitting down on the couch again, but was greeted by an oval-shaped bump.

"Get your ass off my face!" Spike growled, considering biting her.

"It's about ready," Jet shouted from the kitchen. "Get it while it's hot!"

Spike rolled his eyes. "I would if our dear princess would move her ass!" he growled.

Jet peeked in at his two partners. Faye had not only sat on top of Spike's face, but had rubbed her butt on it. Jet laughed. "Hey Spike!" he began. "I thought you were above kissing a woman's ass!"

"Not funny, Jet!" Spike yelled as Faye reclined on the couch.

Suddenly, the tune of the Cosmic Broadcasting Community played on the TV. "Quiet down!" Jet said, walking closer to the couch. "This could be important."

* * *

_Two hours later…_

"I don't think I've ever enjoyed the news so much!" Faye shouted, her eyes lighting up. "I say we all work together on it. We can split the bounty three ways very nicely. I could be very comfortable with 95 million woolong."

"So could I," Spike said, munching on the peppers. "But we'll need big guns for this kind of job." He sighed, looking around. "As much as it pains and saddens me to say it, where's that damn girl and her mutt when you need them?"

"If we're going to do this, we'll have to play it very carefully," Jet said. "These guys are extremely popular with quite a few Martians. On top of that, these guys have high-class assassins working for them now. They aren't the same group they were a year ago."

"Trigger Happy Jones here should be just fine with the Assassin Club," Faye said, glancing at Spike and rolling her eyes. Two seconds later, she was forced to duck as a pillow gracefully flew through the air toward her.

"I'm just worried about that assassin…that 'Enforcer' woman," Jet said. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Spike grunt yet again.

_A woman with the job I used to have?_ Spike thought to himself. _She must really be something. Jet wasn't kidding about bringing out the big guns. _He sighed. _Man! Why the hell would it have to be that kind of woman?_

Jet studied Spike's face, wondering what could be going through the cowboy's mind. "Just don't try flirting with her," he said, trying to break Spike's concentration.

Spike tried hiding his concerns about the bounty and smiled. "I can't promise anything," he said.

Neither man noticed, but their comrade was caught between wanting to choke Spike and rolling her eyes.


	12. Right and Wrong

Right and Wrong

Moments before the shot went off

Something just didn't feel right. There was something wrong with the silence of the graveyard. True, people tend to be very solemn around graveyards. However, one could only hear the sound of a single bird. Nothing good ever came from its call.

Faye looked around, curious why she had chills running down her spine. Something, for whatever reason, screamed danger. _Why do I have a funny feeling about this trip?_ Faye wondered, glancing over toward Spike. _I wonder if he thinks of anything besides his past and near-death experiences?_ She looked up, gazing at the clouds as rain gracefully fell onto her deep green eyes.

A second peek toward Spike revealed a change in position and him squatting in front of a gravestone. _He must be at Julia's grave now_, Faye thought to herself. The more she thought about the whole episode with him and Julia, the more paranoid she became. _So what now? Is he gonna stick around or leave again?_ The day Spike cut down the Red Dragon Syndicate played in her mind over and over again. _Why DID you come back, Spike Spiegel? What do we have to offer you that you couldn't get from being alone?_ Faye looked up again, noticing him tracing the gravestone with his finger. She found herself walking into the graveyard toward him, though she didn't understand why.

* * *

_A few moments later…_

She had finally reached Spike. The feeling that something wasn't right intensified. _Now I KNOW Julia couldn't have lived through the gunshot. If she did, she even fooled Spike_, Faye thought to herself. _So why do I_…

A quick glance beyond Spike quickly answered that question…

* * *

_Meanwhile_… 

Spike knelt next to Julia's grave. His downcast eyes spoke volumes to anyone who cared to view the scene. On the one hand, the battle for his freedom was finally over. However, he had no choice but to look down at the price he had to pay. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I wanted to save you from all this. I guess there's no running after all."

His legs began to sting a little bit, so he shifted his position. Once he did, he thought about one of the last things she said to him. "You're right, you know," Spike said, with a sigh. "You'll be with me until the end. I don't miss you as much as I thought I would, though. I guess a three year separation can do that to you." His fingers traced the gravestone one more time. "I think I finally understand what you were talking about when you said that."

With a whispered _thank you_ and _take care_, Spike rose from the ground and turned around. He came face-to-face with Faye, whom looked like she had a lot on her mind. _Do I want to know what that woman's thinking_? he asked himself before gazing into her eyes. _How do I explain to her that there's nowhere else I can go_?

Before he could answer her question, a gun was pointed in his direction. Spike looked at her funny, wondering what the hell she was thinking. _Did I miss something?_ Spike asked himself, gazing at the Glock. "Um, Faye…" he said, hoping to distract her from whatever odd form of revenge she had in mind.

Bang! 

The bullet sped past his face and toward the back of the graveyard, where a woman was waiting, gun trained on the back of Spike's head. "Aah!" she yelled, falling from the force of the bullet.

Spike grabbed Faye, furious. "What the hell were you thinking?" he asked, restraining himself from attacking her. "You scared the shit out of me! Why the hell did you use me for target…"

"Well, I'm sorry!" Faye yelled, turning him around. "Next time, I'll let her blow your fucking head off!"

"Her?" Spike asked. He looked from left to right, searching for whomever had the misfortune of being the Glock's target.

* * *

_Immediately following the shot_… 

"HOLY SHIT!" the assassin yelled, speeding toward the ground. "That bitch has good aim!" A quick glance to the left revealed a bloody hole on the shoulder blade. A piece of fabric was torn from the tuxedo shirt the assassin wore and tied over the shoulder.

A few moments later, Faye ran over to the assassin. It was blatantly obvious that she was pissed. "Where the hell do you get off trying to kill us?" she asked.

"I wasn't after you," the assassin replied. "I was after…"

Spike cut off the assassin's response. "Akina?" he asked, scratching his head. "What are you doing here?"

Akina smiled, despite the incredible amount of pain surging throughout her body. "I would say I was making sure you found the graves, but I'd be lying," she said.

Spike knelt next to her, looking into her eyes. "What's going on?" he asked. "What the hell are you shooting at me for?"

Akina looked deep into his eyes. _Now I see what she was talking about_, she said to herself, looking away from Spike. _I can't even look into his eyes without chills running down my spine_. "Nothing personal," she said, sighing. "I'm just not ready to die yet."

Faye gripped her Glock harder, stepping closer to Akina. "What the fuck are you talking about?" she asked.

"That group in Mars City," Akina said, trailing off.

"You mean that mercenary group?" Faye asked, eying Akina suspiciously. "Are you one of them?"

"Unfortunately," Akina replied. "I had no choice. I either had to turn on everyone or die."

Spike looked at Akina hopelessly. He felt as if someone, or something, had kicked him in the stomach with little to no regard for his general welfare. "So they were after you, huh?"

"Not until I accepted their merry little invitation," Akina replied. "Honestly, I'm glad I did. Had I not accepted it and someone else had, I would be dead right now."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets rang through the sky in the general direction of the three. Spike grabbed Faye and headed straight for the ground. After what seemed like decades, the sonnet of gunfire finally came to an abrupt stop. Spike peeked from around a nearby gravestone, checking Akina's condition.

The next word that came from the bounty hunter's mouth confirmed what Faye feared would happen. "Shit!" Spike yelled, running toward Akina. "Please don't die yet!"

Akina looked up at Spike, smiling. "Now I finally understand what they all saw in you," she said. "Mao, Julia, Shin, Annie…they all knew you were something special. If only…" Akina coughed up a few clumps of blood. She looked into her hands and smiled. "So I guess only one of us is left." She looked sternly at Spike. "You're the only former Dragon left. They're after you now. Do whatever you have to do, but stay alive!"

Spike nodded his head, closing Akina's eyelids for the last time.

* * *

_A couple hours later…_

"Do you always gain more enemies as you go along?" Faye asked, panting after a 20-minute shoot-out in the graveyard. Receiving no response, she grunted and yelled into her ship's COM. "Hello? Are you listening to me?"

Spike couldn't do much more than stare into the sky. He thought of all the people who had died within the past few years that he was close to at one point or another. Julia. Annie. Mao. Vicious. Lin. Shin. Now Akina, one of the very few people left that linked him to his past, was gone as well. Only one question remained in Spike's mind: now what?


	13. Looking Good, Feeling Fine

Looking Good, Feeling Fine  
(two hours after the graveyard battle)

"She's WHAT?" Jet yelled upon discovering the fate of Akina, the female assassin of which the newscaster spoke.

"It was either us or her," Faye replied, almost nonchalantly, while flying her Red Tail through the Martian skies. "In the end, we weren't the ones who decided her fate."

"Then who did?" Jet asked, believing he already knew the answer.

"I think it was all internal politics," Faye said.

Spike, meanwhile, soared through the Martian skies beside Faye. If one had to compare his current emotional state with his emotional state prior to the final battle with Vicious, one would certainly agree that he was more ready to die than before. His entire body remained numb from the gunfight in the graveyard and the dead ally he'd become acquainted with in recent months.

So how's Spike doing? Jet wondered to himself, knowing for certain that asking Spike would get him nowhere and asking Faye would definitely cause a disaster. So, much to the Black Dog's dissatisfaction, the question would have to be answered later. Instead, he looked Faye dead in the eye. "So do you two have any further info on that group that you got tangled up with in the graveyard?"

"No more than before," Faye replied, halfway between serious and sarcastic. "They were more interested in blowing the hell out of us than chatting over tea and crumpets."

"Huh?" Jet asked, confused.

"Nothing," Faye replied. "It was something that we used to say people in the UK ate back when I was younger."

"I see," Jet said, dropping the subject all together.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"So explain to me again, dear gentlemen, why the hell you just killed our top assassin?" a man asked, marching around a large cherry conference table.

"Sir," a young recruit began, "she was giving away our secrets to a possible enemy."

"Have you identified this person that you are referring to?" the man asked.

"His name is Spike Spiegel," the recruit replied. "Approximately 29 years old, little is known about him up until age 11. Was once a member of the Red Dragons in the same position our top assassin held here. Very good with guns and a strange martial art that an earthling by the name of Bruce Lee invented years ago. Left the Dragons just before it became more violent and the coups began to break the group apart. Once connected to a man named Vicious, whom led the last failed coup attempt as well as the last successful one. Single-handedly took out a nice chunk of the Red Dragons, including Vicious, and very narrowly escaped with his life. Rumor has it he's been working as a bounty hunter for the last three or four years." The recruit took a deep breath. "That's all sir."

The older man sat in a chair, breathing slowly. "Looks like her little friend made quite a name for himself," he said. "Maybe we should invest in his services rather than killing him. He could be of use to us after all."

* * *

_The next day…_

Spike lay across the couch in the makeshift den, a million things crossing his mind. Beyond the issues surrounding his life with the Red Dragons, there were a couple little things here and there that struck him as odd.

Why the hell did Doohan have stuff about my parents? Spike found himself asking again and again. Is there something he knows that I obviously don't? And what was up with him holding onto the Jericho? Assuming it really was my mother's, how would he know that? Spike sighed, unsure how to deal with Doohan knowing much more about Spike than he cared for any one person to know. He shook his head. Yep, definitely an odd one, Spike smiled, thinking of Doohan.

Thoughts of the middle-aged mechanic brought back memories of his last visit. Doohan always managed to send Spike home considering something he'd said or done. This time around, that particular thing was something he said to Spike in the middle of their conversation about Julia and death.

There's more to you than that and we both know it! 

That man always did know too much about me, Spike thought to himself. You know, outside of a select few others, he's probably the only person I've ever trusted.

Jet and Faye, meanwhile, sat in the kitchen, overlooking their comrade and the TV in front of him.

"He's been moping around like that ever since we got back," Faye said, shaking her head. "It's not like him. What gives?"

"If you were in his position, you'd probably be the same way," Jet replied. "He's lost everyone connected with his past and who he once was."

"With a past like he had, I don't see who in their right mind would want it back," Faye said, rolling her eyes.

"You and him are similar in that respect," Jet said. "Both of you are longing for something you can no longer have. The only difference is that he's at the same point you were at roughly eight months ago, when you realized the truth."

Faye glanced over at Spike again, feeling a little pity for him. While she could understand the feeling of longing for something or someone that one could no longer have, she did not understand why Spike would want to return to a life with the mafia. What's so special about running around with psychopaths who are thirsty for blood and money? Faye asked herself. She thought long and hard, recalling what Jet had just said to her. She grunted. Why the hell would I ever want to be compared with a lunkhead like him? Faye said, feigning insult.

Jet also looked over at Spike. Unlike Faye, he felt as if he would turn pale whenever he noticed Spike running around. That damned Indian, Jet said to himself. I can't shake what he said!

All living things…each being that breathes has its own star…His star is about to fall, I have dreamed it… 

What the hell was that all about? Jet asked himself. Why did he tell me that? It's not like I didn't try warning him about going after Vicious! He thought back to the story of the man traveling to Kilimanjaro who only thought about his past when he was about to die. "I don't know what's worse," Jet muttered to himself. "Having a partner that is supposedly about to die or…" he glanced to his right, looking straight at Faye "a loose-cannon of a partner who gave someone a five-shot salut!" As soon as he mentioned it, Jet looked at Faye again curiously. "Hey Faye?" he began.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"What happened to that last bullet?" Jet asked her.

Faye smiled to herself, tempted to be a smart ass. "You know what they say, cowboy," she said. "Easy come, easy go!"

Jet growled at Faye. "What the hell happened to that last bullet in your gun?"

"I missed," Faye muttered to herself.

"What do you mean 'you missed,'" Jet asked, confused. "What were you trying to hit?"


	14. I Believe: Creative Interlude III

I Believe

Just popping in to thank all of you for keeping up with the story, though each chapter seemed to take forever to be posted. As of 2am today, this story has had over 2000 hits. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Just mentioning a few things before continuing again:

All The Love Has Gone: This chapter purposely was made to remind you guys of The Real Folk Blues Pt. One. That's why I decided to mention little tidbits from the show ("Tell him I'll keep waiting," "The lunkhead with the fuzzy hair," "By the graves, not in them."). Originally, I did not intend to end the chapter the way I did. To be very honest, I was going to add more to it until I reread what I already had. Hehehe…I guess you guys were calling me evil until I updated with "Right and Wrong". Hehehe.

Papa Never Told You: With this chapter, I ended up combining things found overall in the movie as well as in The Real Folk Blues. I tried marrying the previous chapter and the one that followed with info that otherwise would have made things more difficult to understand. Hehehe…it was also my way of keeping you guys in suspense a little longer. Oh! By the way…the couch battle is similar to a battle I've personally been a part of, so I can definitely relate to both Faye and Spike.

Right and Wrong: As you guys very well know, this is the continuation of "All The Love Has Gone." Some elements within TRFB ended up in this chapter as well, while others were meant to go in and never made it (ie. I was gonna mention the "I'm sorry, but I'm about to make a bit of a scene" piece, since the gun battle happened near Julia's grave). Sigh. It's always sad to kill off a character.

Looking Good, Feeling Fine: While this continues the saga already in progress, it also explores some down time the crew has. The particular moment I captured involved them sitting around thinking and, in the case of Jet and Faye, talking. This chapter discusses a few things from the previous chapter as well as adding a little something extra from TRFB and "Born Under a Bad Sign". You guys should know by now…I can't resist! One last thing…the last line of this chapter comes from the general idea of how glocks hold their bullets. I have always wondered how many bullets her gun holds at one time. It's just my way of exploring that small detail.

I think that's everything. If you guys have any questions, please feel free to email me! Thanks again!


	15. Shame About It

Shame About It

(two months after the graveyard incident)

A single limo left from a garage that seemed to appear out of nowhere. This garage, just south of the Martian Tower in Mars City, was the hub of many shady dealings as of late.

The passenger, dressed in a finely made suit from the Italian district of Mars, was talking away on a COM. His driver and confidante, a small man with more military clearance than most who are active soldiers, sighed as he gazed into his mirror and noticed his friend and employer yelling and pointing at the COM.

"You have one chance and one chance only!" The man yelled, attempting, but failing miserably, to calm his nerves. "I want that man in my apartment by ten tonight or it'll be your ass that pays the price!"

The driver sighed, pulling over and turning around to talk. "What seems to be the problem, Alesandre?" he asked his passenger.

"That man from the Tharsis incident," he replied. "Ramon, he's managed to either blow off, shake off, or pulverize every man we've tried getting to talk to him!"

"I see," Ramon replied. "Who all have you sent?"

"Everyone in the crew except for Antonelli," Alesandre replied. "And I just got off the phone with him!"

"Maybe he's not interested," Ramon said.

"Or maybe he's just stupid!" Alesandre exclaimed. "I've never seen anyone so stubborn before!"

"Then exactly why are you trying to acquaint yourself with such a man?" Ramon asked.

"Because he's the best at what he does," Alesandre finally replied, sighing.

To each his own, I suppose, Ramon thought to himself. Hopefully, Alesandre knows what he's doing. I'm afraid, though, that he and the rest have gotten themselves in over their heads. Sighing and gazing in the mirror at his employer, Ramon finally put the car back in drive and continued down the seemingly busy street.

* * *

_A few days later…_

It was "business" as usual on the Bebop. Faye was off to the racetrack, Jet was tending to his darling bonsais, and Spike was attached to the couch. There was a feeling of silent recognition that things had finally returned to normal…or at least whatever passed for normal on the ship.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a COM went off. _Beep! Beep! Jet, you there?_ a strange yet familiar voice asked.

Spike raised his head slowly, surveying the so-called living room in an attempt to find the COM. Jet, meanwhile, walked out into the room and grabbed his COM from beside the stove. "I'm here," he said. "What's going on?"

"We got a tip on a new bounty," the caller said. "Word is that Earth is having a little trouble and is offering a handsome reward to get rid of it."

Jet rolled his eyes. Nothing good comes from Earth, he thought to himself. Spike and Faye definitely aren't gonna like this. "What sort of trouble?" Jet finally asked.

The caller, Donelly, sighed and scratched his head. "From what I can tell," he began, "the earthlings have some sort of psycho running around the planet making police helicopters crash down."

Jet smacked himself in the forehead, laughing. Donelly, meanwhile, looked at his friend strangely. Finally looking at his COM again, Jet tried explaining himself. "That sounds like a hacker I used to know," he said.

"Well I wish I could say this was a hack job," Donelly said. "The earthlings can probably tell you more about what's going on than I can. I can only tell you rumors around the department."

"I appreciate the heads up," Jet told his friend. "We'll look into it."

"Take care of yourself, Black Dog," Donelly said, ending the COM call.

Jet sighed, sitting back in one of the chairs. They'll never go for this, he thought to himself. There's no way either one of them will be in on this one.

Spike finally rose from the beloved couch, stretched, and walked towards Jet. "So what was that all about?" he asked, removing the headphones from his ears.

Jet looked up and gave a low sigh. "Donelly called with info about a possible bounty."

Spike scratched his head and looked at Jet with a curious expression. "What's it all about?" he asked.

"Supposedly, someone's been going around blowing up police ships," Jet told him. "That's all I know about the situation so far."

Spike grunted. "Sounds like some sort of petty prank or the beginnings of a rebellion of some sort," he said. Spike rolled his eyes, knowing he'd probably regret his next question but resigning himself to asking it anyway. "Where is this so-called bounty at, anyway?"

A slammed hatch door and the sound of high heels told the two cowboys that their sometime partner had finally joined them again. "What about a bounty head?" Faye asked, gracefully strolling into the den area.

Spike was the first to glance up. "I take it you won pretty big at the casino," he said, smirking.

Faye stretched her arms upward. Her smile infected her partners worse than any infection ever could. "I got a nice amount of money that I'm sure I can live very comfortably on for a while," she replied, sitting down in a nearby chair. "What have you two been up to while I was gone?"

"I just got a call from a friend on Ganymede," Jet told her. "He mentioned something about a bounty he'd recently heard rumors about."

Faye's ears perked up. It had been far too long in her opinion since she'd had the chance to get rid of her pent-up energy. "So what kind of bounty head are we talking about," Faye began, "the typical lowlife, the hacker slash prankster, someone wishing to blow things up, or someone who simply knows too much about too many things?"

"Apparently, the type that likes blowing up police vehicles," Jet replied. "All I know for certain about the rumored bounty is that it's on Earth."

Spike and Faye glanced over at one another, then shot their glares at Jet. "Earth?" they asked in unison.

Jet sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Yes, Earth," he said. "But that's assuming the information I've found so far is right."

Faye bit her lower lip and nodded. She hadn't been to Earth since her bittersweet encounter with her past and what was left with it. Even though she now remembered her past, she hadn't dared do anything to research or otherwise come in contact with her past since that fateful day when she discovered a sad yet true fact about everything she knew. She slowly walked away from the boys and went in her room to think things over.

Spike, meanwhile, grimaced about the idea of going to Earth. He knew better than anyone that Earth bounties were famous for two things: the bounties were almost always small fries that picked or were stuck on the worst possible area of the planet to inhabit and the police usually tried (and found) ways to either weasel out of paying for bounties or offered very small rewards for a bounty's capture. "I think I want to find out more about this so-called bounty before the ship sets said," Spike finally told Jet.

"Yeah," Jet said. "There's no sense going to Earth and finding out the trip was worthless. I'll see what I can get from the cops. You and Faye can look into other sources."

"Speaking of her," Spike said, turning his head to and fro, "what was with her sudden disappearance?"

"I don't think she's faced her past since she found out everything she knew was gone," Jet replied. "Going back to Earth would be very bittersweet for her, just like going to Tharsis is bittersweet for you."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

A stranger stood on the ground in what was once known as Seattle, gazing at a wreck that was still flaming. Small bits of metal were scattered throughout the area, creating a soft reddish-orange glow among the mix of gray and beige. Lighting up a cigarette with one of the metal pieces still on fire, the stranger smiled mischievously. "If this doesn't get his attention, nothing will," the stranger said.


	16. World Turned UpsideDown

**World Turned Upside-Down**

_Two and a half months after the Graveyard Incident_

The Bebop and its crew coasted silently toward Earth. It was understood that they would try to get the bounty, but no one dared mention anything about Earth or what they were about to face. The cowboys merely drifted into a sort of quiet routine: Jet with his bonsais, Spike with his Jeet Kune Do practice, and Faye locked inside her quarters.

One particular night, the three quietly sat in the living room smoking a cigarette. All three had something plaguing their minds, but dared not break the peace.

Jet finally sighed and decided to break the silence. "So are you guys really up for it?" he asked. "We can still turn back. There's no guarantee we'll find anything."

"But it beats eating more of that stuff you try to pass for food," Spike said, putting his hands behind his head. "I'd like to have lobster or Peking duck for a change."

Jet grunted. He never liked Spike's insults about his cooking, but usually said nothing because Spike always came back for more. He finally turned to Faye. "What about you?"

Faye looked up for the first time in what felt like hours. Something inside her said she should go along with them, but another part of her wondered if she could take another encounter with the place she once called home. She sighed. "It was bound to happen sooner or later," Faye mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" Jet asked, curious.

"Nothing," Faye replied. "Count me in."

* * *

_Two days later…_

"The bounty is indeed real," an officer told the Bebop via Jet's COM. "We're offering 70 million for his capture."

"Can you tell us anything about him?" Jet asked.

"Unfortunately, no," the officer replied. "Nothing about this person has been confirmed across the board. Some say he's tall while others say he's average height. Some claim he has brown hair while others claim he has black hair. Some believe he has hazel eyes while others believe he has brown eyes. Nothing about the guy seems to stand out to anyone."

Faye rolled her eyes. "So what do you have for us to go on?" she asked.

"Only that he shows up whenever there's some sort of issues with syndicate crimes," the officer replied. "Around here, though, those kinds of crimes happen all the time. We never know where he'll show up next."

Spike listened carefully to the entire conversation, his ears perking up when the officer mentioned syndicate crimes. "Is there any specific syndicate he works with?" he asked.

"This guy isn't picky about who he works with," the officer replied. "He doesn't directly work with anyone. He just shows up whenever there's any sort of showdown and always manages to destroy police property."

"We'll get back to you on what we find," Jet said, hanging up the COM.

Meanwhile, a man walked out of the shadows behind the officer. Handing him an envelope, he said, "Thanks for the help."

The officer took the envelope, counting the woolongs inside. "You're very generous," he said. "But why in the world would you want a bounty placed on your head?"

The man grinned, sending chills down the officer's spine. "Let's just say it's the only way to get a certain person's attention," he said. "Meanwhile, that should cover the damage, the bounty and your fee."

* * *

_Six hours later…_

Faye sat outside the Bebop, gazing at the sunset. Her hair flew along with the current of the wind. Her mind was a million miles away, back to a time when she was much younger, though most if not all men she ran across would swear she was at oldest 25. She sighed, debating whether or not to pry into the past that she missed out on. Faye closed her eyes, attempting to picture what life must have been like after she mysteriously disappeared.

"Thinking of the past again?" Spike asked, walking towards her.

"Sometimes, I really can't help but wonder," Faye said, continuing to gaze at the scenery.

"I see," Spike said, withdrawing a cigarette and his lighter from his pocket. After taking a drag, he looked at Faye. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

"I have nothing more to lose," Faye finally replied, standing up to walk back inside the Bebop.

* * *

_Three days later…_

"Tell me something good," Alesandre said, answering his COM.

"I cannot promise when that man will be in your apartment," the voice said, "but I guarantee you that a plan is certainly in motion."

"Make it as quick as you can," Alesandre told his caller. "These bounty hunters will catch on if we aren't careful. And I'll be damned if I'll be traded for anyone's money! Besides…" Alesandre sipped a drink of some sort. "…the one in particular could be of use to our operations."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Jet searched for information regarding the man whom was now worth over 85 million woolongs. However, the trail always seemed to end abruptly whenever Jet felt he was closer to the truth.

"Any luck?" Faye asked, sitting next to Jet.

"Nothing," Jet replied. "Every time I think I've found something, the trail always runs cold."

"Wonderful," Faye said, rolling her eyes. "So what is this guy, a ghost?"

"Knowing our luck, worse," Jet replied, giving one last searching method a try.

A few minutes later, Spike strolled into the living area. As soon as he set foot in the entryway, he heard Jet shout.

"I've had it!" Jet exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table. "I've tried everything I could think of and nothing's working! There's only one thing left to do."

"And what's that?" Spike asked.

"We've gotta go find her," Jet replied, somewhere between frustrated and enjoying the idea.

"Who?" Faye asked.

"The kid," Jet replied.

"You're kidding, right?" Faye asked.

"Well, it'll definitely make things more animated around here," Spike said. "But how the hell are we gonna find her?"

* * *

_Two days later…_

"Halllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Beebop!" an all-too-familiar girl screamed after discovering the ship's docking logs.

"Woof!" her partner in crime and favorite furry creature barked in response.


	17. Things Ain't Been The Same

**Things Ain't Been The Same**

_Nearly three months after the graveyard battle_

A teenage girl sat in an abandoned building staring at a computer screen. Now 14, she was beginning to blossom into a woman. She was still very petite with bright orange hair and big eyes, but she was beginning to look more feminine. Her companion, a brown and white Welsh corgi, stared at the computer screen as well. The dog was ready to travel elsewhere, but refused to leave the girl behind.

Suddenly, the girl shouted triumphantly. "I found them! I found them!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Woof!" was the only reply she received. Looking down, the girl pet the corgi. "Is Ein ready to see Jet-person, Spike-person and Faye-Faye?" she asked. Again, the only reply she received was "Woof!"

According to the computer screen, the Bebop was stationed approximately sixteen kilometers from their current position. The girl smiled her trademark smile, packed away her precious Tomato, and prepared to head toward her friends.

* * *

_Meanwhile… _

"It's a big area," Faye said, looking down toward the rocky Earth. "What makes you think we'll find her?"

"Knowing that girl," Jet began, half smiling and half shaking his head, "she'll find us. We'll land in a couple kilometers and plan our next move."

Spike changed position on the couch, listening to his partners chat. While he was interested in what happened with Ed, he also enjoyed the quiet that already inhabited the Bebop. "That kid's sure a handful," he thought to himself with a smile.

After a few moments of quiet, Faye looked from Jet to Spike. "I just thought about something," she began. "What do we tell Ed if she asks us what we've been up to since she left?"

The cowboys looked from one to the other, not sure how to answer the question. Neither of them was certain that the girl could handle hearing about Faye's family being dead and Spike nearly dying from something other than a typical bounty. They sat in silence for a half hour, each debating what version of the truth would be best suited for Edward. Eventually, Spike stretched and mumbled something inaudible.

"What was that?" Jet asked, wondering what Spike had come up with.

"Let's figure this out after dinner," Spike replied. "I'm starving!" Jet grumbled something and Faye rolled her eyes at Spike's comment. Spike shrugged his shoulders. "I think better when I've had something to eat."

* * *

_Two hours later…_

Ed walked up a hill created from the craters of the moon slamming into the Earth. Her arms swung wildly from side to side. As she reached the top, her smile took over her face. Ed looked down at Ein, who was barking loudly at the sight of their target. Crouching down, she smiled a devilish grin. "Let's give Bebop-Bebop a ride," she said.

Less than a minute later… 

"What the hell's going on?" Spike and Faye yelled at the top of their lungs.

"I don't know!" Jet yelled, confused.

The Bebop soared through the air at top speed. For reasons unknown to its inhabitants, the ship rocked back and forth as if it were a boat. Spike and Faye were tossed from one side of the living area to the other, hitting each other once or twice. Jet, meanwhile, strapped himself into the pilot's seat the second the ship began to move outside of his control.

At the same suddenness that the ship's take off and rocking began, it suddenly ended and the Bebop was resting on the ground as if nothing happened. Jet sighed relief, both from the ship landing safely and unharmed and knowing it was an ally rather than an enemy controlling the ship.

Spike was the first to emerge from the living area. "What the hell just happened," he asked Jet, rubbing his head.

Jet smiled, trying his hardest not to laugh at Spike's condition. "I think we just found our fourth crew member," he said, pointing to the computer screen. A single yellow smiley danced across the screen, grinning at the cowboys.

* * *

_Twenty minutes later…_

"Faye-Faye! Jet person! Spike person!" Ed exclaimed, running towards the cowboys.

"Woof! Woof!" Ein barked, running at top speed towards Jet.

Jet stood on the ground, smiling. Even though Ed's prank moved around everything that was light enough to move, Jet couldn't help but smile. Ed hugged Jet briefly, then ran to hug Spike and Faye. Ein, on the other hand, tried jumping into Jet's lap. Jet leaned down to pet the beloved dog.

Faye, meanwhile, froze next to Jet. Ed hugged Faye as if she'd found a long-lost relative. The tight embrace caused Faye's normally pale complexion to brighten to a light shade of pink across her cheeks. Faye couldn't remember the last time someone hugged her without some sort of agenda in mind. Before she could react, though, Ed took off in search of Spike.

Noticing the girl running at high speed towards him with arms waving in the air, Spike jumped down onto the ground. Ed embraced Spike and spun him around slightly. Spike patted Ed on the back, shaking his head and smiling slightly. "Good to see you too," he said.

A few minutes later, the four gathered in the living area to relax and hear Ed's story. Ein, meanwhile, ran around the ship. The three cowboys gazed at the girl, curious what she and Ein did for the past few months. Ed, in turn, gazed at the three cowboys, curious what they had been up to and if they missed her.

Faye finally broke the silence. "Did you ever find your father?" she asked Ed.

"Yes," Ed replied. "Ed and Ein found Father-person near the next town from Bebop Bebop. Ed and Ein lived with Father-person and Mackin-person until they left us in old Tokyo. Ed and Ein then went from Father-person to a big temple for food and a place to…beee-long."

Jet sighed, looking from the two travelers to Faye. Deep down, he assumed Faye mentioned something about belonging before she ran off. Jet then glanced down at Ein's front left leg. There was a healing cut around it. "Ed," Jet began cautiously, "what happened to Ein's paw?"

Ed looked over at Ein and closed her eyes. "The temple people wanted to eat him," Ed said after a couple moments. "Temple people cut into his leg before Ed could stop them." Ed shook her head, smiling at the three cowboys. "What happened to you guys while Ed and Ein were gone?"

Jet, Faye and Spike looked at each other, unsure how to answer the question. Eventually, all eyes turned to Jet. "Who? Me?" Jet asked, hoping the long gazes from his shipmates did not mean what he thought. The looks merely intensified. Jet growled, wondering how they suckered him into telling the girl what happened. "Ed…you see…um…" Jet scratched his head, unable to come up with a way to tell her. "There once was a tiger-striped cat…"

Ed looked at Jet, confused. "What? Whaaat?" she asked. "Did Spike-person run away again and get hurt? Or did Faye-Faye run again?" After a few minutes without an answer, Ed decided they would mention it some other time and wandered away seemingly without a care.

The three cowboys looked at each other, confused. Spike shook his head and mumbled something along the lines of, "that kid is too smart for her own good."


	18. Blues Walked Into Town: Interlude IV

Blues Walked Into Town: Creative Interlude IV

This set of chapters has been, by far, some of the more interesting ones for me to attempt writing. To be perfectly honest, time has not been kind this time around. I apologize for that. It's just been that crazy. Unfortunately, I'm telling the truth. I have to admit…it's highly amusing attempting to get in the swing of things after taking a two-month hiatus due to finals, summer classes, and…well…drama with other people.

Ok, enough whining. On to the things you should know from each chapter:

Shame About It: You guys will have to let me know if there's anything funky about that chapter. My editing skills, sadly, were lacking this time around. Pay special attention to the characters introduced since Papa Never Told You. Trust me when I say it's a good idea.

World Turned Upside Down: I will openly admit that I didn't realize I botched up my numbers. Much like the previous chapter, it was created to build up suspense for the future. This chapter will come into play sooner than you think, so pay close attention.

Things Ain't Been The Same: I apologize now. I discovered that while I can spit out things Spike has and would say in a heartbeat, I do not have the same ability for Ed. I hope the chapter sounds like her, but you will have to be the judge of that. Thanks for the encouragement received so far!

I apologize to anyone who has sent me an email and I have yet to answer your questions. Just so you know for the future: if I don't answer an email within two days, I probably never got the note. Keep trying because I never want to blow off anyone!

Keep your eyes open for upcoming chapters coming down the line. I plan to have Chapter 19 out in a few days. Thanks again for sticking with me!


	19. That Shotgun Shine

That Shotgun Shine  
(five days after Ed's return)

"A peanut sat on the track," Ed sang to herself. "His heart was all aflutter. Around the bend came number ten. Toot! Toot! Peanut butter!" She glanced at a file through her goggles. "I found him! He's with the White Tigers near old San Franciso."

Jet smiled. Although the ship became much noisier since Ed and Ein returned, he had to admit that he loved having them back. "Thanks, Ed," Jet said, putting the finishing touches on breakfast and peeking around for his crewmates. "Food's on!"

"What are we having?" Spike asked, walking toward the living area first.

Jet looked at Spike sarcastically. "Special," he replied, shaking his head. "Bell peppers and beef."

Spike rolled his eyes, as usual. He sat down on the couch and looked in Ed's direction. "You find anything?"

Ed looked up, smiling. "Plane crasher man is in old San Francisco," she replied.

Spike nodded his thanks, then growled less than two seconds later. This particular location was not the first time the bounty hunter and the bounty crossed paths. In old Dallas, Spike almost beat the guy. Unfortunately, though, he had to choose between saving an old lady from falling to her death or capturing the bounty. When his conscience didn't kick in, Jet yelled for him to save the old lady. He continued to regret such a move, but couldn't help smiling when the old woman hugged him tightly and shoved a fist full of woolongs in his hand in return for the save. "I'm getting that guy this time, no matter what," Spike said.

* * *

_Meanwhile… _

"I heard about you toying around with Spiegel," Alesandre told someone via his COM. "Those are the sort of things that get guys killed if they aren't too careful."

"It's not my fault," the caller reassured Alesandre. "How was I supposed to know the guy had a bad temper?"

Alesandre grumbled, feeling the approach of a major headache. "Does the destruction of the Red Dragons ring a bell?" he asked.

"That was something different," the caller replied. "From what I gathered from our dearly departed friend, the short-time head of the syndicate killed Spiegel's ex-girlfriend, mother figure, and father figure. The man had it coming and the rest of the syndicate got in the way because they were protecting their leader."

Alesandre rubbed his head while searching for his headache medicine. "Like I told you before, handle this situation quickly," he told the caller. "I'm getting fed up with this and…"

"You have my word," the caller quickly said. "Spiegel will be speaking with you before the week is over!"

"Good," Alesandre said, hanging up.

The caller hung up as well, wiping sweat from his forehead. "There's no way in hell I want Alesandre pissed at me," he muttered to himself. "I might be crazy, but I know what really happened to the guys who went after Spiegel and came back empty-handed!"

* * *

_Two days later…_

Accroding to Ed's resources, the bounty was hiding out on what was once known as Alcatraz Island. Jet grunted at the discovery, somewhere between curious and worried that a bounty would choose to hide out in a prison, let alone on an island. "This feels like a trap," Jet thought to himself.

Spike, meanwhile, welcomed the challenge of fighting and capturing the bounty on an island like Alcatraz. "He got the best of me once," Spike thought, "but that mistake won't be made twice!"

Faye, on the other hand, was somewhere between uncaring and frustrated by the idea. "This just proves what I've always known," Faye mused. "Men are such total idiots!"

All three cowboys agreed that some sort of plan would need to be put in action if they were ever going to capture such a high profile bounty. Ed gave them every blueprint for the building that she could find as well as new information on the local syndicates.

"With our luck, this guy is already tracking us," Faye said, rolling her eyes.

"That makes my job easier," Spike said in return, gritting his teeth.

"It's just like you to be so impulsive," Faye muttered.

"ME!" Spike yelled. "Did you conveniently forget the last bounty we went after, Miss Trigger Happy Jane?"

Within seconds, a fight between the two broke out. Jet fumed before finally shouting at both of them. "Enough! If this is going to work, both of you will have to work together! Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah," the two replied.

* * *

_Thirty minutes later…_

A man gazed outside of his window and noticed a ship shooting at the building he was hiding in. He smiled to himself. "Showtime," he muttered.

Before the man could get to the door, he was punched in the face. Temporarily stunned, the man grinned at the challenge. "What a shame," he said. "I was hoping it'd be someone else. Not that I mind such a beautiful woman coming to visit me, but I was expecting someone else."

Spike peeked his face around the doorway. "Looking for me?" he asked.

"Actually I was," the man replied. "Now, are we or are we not going to finish where we left off?"

With a quick punch, Spike smiled. "Fine by me," he told the man.


	20. By Half Past Ten

By Half Past Ten

_One week after Ed's return_

"It's been a long time since I've been in a fight that was worth fighting," Antonelli told Spike, licking the blood that trickled from his busted lip and down his chin.

_Whack!_

"I'm just getting warmed up," Spike smiled, dancing around his frustrating opponent.

Antonelli smiled to himself as well. _Alesandre is insane, but he knows a man worthy of paying attention to when he sees him_, he thought to himself. _But this guy's stubborn as hell. So how does Alesandre think…_

_Whack!_

A single kick to the face forced Antonelli to become friends with the floor. Thinking it would be better to sit on the ground than to lose consciousness due to stubbornness, Antonelli threw his hands in the air. "Okay! Okay! I give already!"

_What a waste_, Spike thought to himself. _I was just starting to have fun!_ With a small sigh, Spike handcuffed Antonelli. "You're under arrest and blah blah blah," Spike said, rolling his eyes.

Faye watched the scene with amusement. _What a complete moron_, she muttered. After remembering how much the bounty was, she smiled. _Too bad Vegas is gone_, she thought. _I could use a night at the tracks_.

* * *

_Forty-five minutes later…_

"So do you honestly think these guys will pay up?" Spike asked Jet as they landed in old New York City.

"They'd better!" Jet grumbled, clenching his metallic fist. "I'll be damned if I let them screw me over again!"

"Temper, temper," Faye said sarcastically. "Now you know you can't solve anything by grumbling."

"And just how do you plan to solve things if they refuse to hand over the bounty?" Spike asked, imagining a money-hungry Faye being told she's not allowed to have anything.

"Kick him in the balls and take it," Faye smiled, knowing that's the answer her comrades were waiting to hear.

Spike laughed. "That's very mature, Faye," he said. "Remind me to keep you and Ed separated when she starts having crushes on guys."

"Nyah?" Ed said, poking her head into the room. "What did you say about Ed?"

"You don't want to know," Jet said.

"Yes Ed does," she said, jumping around the ship.

"They think I'd be a bad influence on you," Faye told Ed.

Ed looked at the three of them, smiled a huge smile, stretched her arms out, and flew out of the room. "Faye-Faye's a baaaaad girl! Bad bad girl!" was Ed's song as she ran from room to room.

* * *

_Fifteen minutes later…_

"Here's your 87 million woolongs as promised," Officer Johnson said, transferring the woolongs to Jet's card. Faye pouted a little bit, which Johnson happened to catch. "I think you'd better transfer some money to the little lady's card. Your girl here…"

"Who?" Jet asked, looking around before realizing the officer was speaking to him. "Me?" Johnson nodded his head. "You're making a mistake! She's my roommate!"

Johnson looked from Jet to Spike. "Then…" he began, "she's your…"

"There's no way in Hell she could be mine!" Spike yelled, earning a death glare from Faye. In turn, Spike stuck his tongue out at her.

Johnson looked at Faye funny and tried not to show his amusement in the childish faces that were being passed from Faye to Spike. "Don't tell me a pretty thing like you is single!" Johnson exclaimed.

Faye smiled, attempting not to show her disgust in the man's obvious flirting. "I'm afraid these boys are too chicken to take me off the market," Faye said sarcastically.

"Who'd wanna?" Spike muttered just loud enough for Faye to hear.

"And this would be why you're single," Faye said sarcastically. She looked to her right and noticed the hurt look in Spike's eyes. She sighed and added to her harsh blow. "You refuse to be serious about your feelings."

"All I feel is sick when someone mentions us being a couple!" Spike shouted, glaring at Faye. _Dammit, if I'm gonna feel hurt, so are you!_ He thought to himself.

* * *

_Thirty minutes later…_

"That was cold, even for you!" Jet grumbled, double checking their supplies and making a grocery list.

"I don't hear you saying shit to her!" Spike yelled, failing to control himself.

"She's got hers coming," Jet said. "But right now, this is about you! Even if that's how you really feel about her, that was the wrong place to say it. Do you even have a clue how that woman feels about you?"

"Other than pure contempt, no," Spike replied.

"She doesn't hate you," Jet said, looking Spike dead in the eye. "If anything, it's somewhere between a mild crush and a friend she's been through a lot of shit with. Do you have any idea what that woman is willing to do for you?"

Spike thought back to the past year and a half. He thought to when they first met. Smiling to himself, he remembered what she first called him. These days, she only uses that nickname when they aren't fighting. From that memory, he remembered the first time he faced Vicious. _She saved my ass_, he thought to himself. He then thought of the many times they worked together capturing bounties. _Heh. Even Jet claimed he'd never seen two people work so well together_, he said to himself.

Then the memory of the showdown fought fiercely for attention.

_She was trying to keep me from leaving_, he remembered. _Part of me thought she was just being a silly schoolgirl trying to keep her crush from walking away from her. But…_

"…then there was the time you went to blow the Hell out of the Red Dragons," Jet said, snapping Spike away from his thoughts. "That woman followed every lead she could find trying to find you and either bring you back here safely or have closure." Jet stared at Spike, trying not to snatch Spike into midair by his shirt collar. "And you thank her by saying something so nasty in public. I thought…"

"I need some air," Spike muttered, walking toward the bedrooms and the hangar.

"I don't want to see you until I hear…" Jet yelled, interrupted by Ed tugging on Jet's left pantleg.

"What's wrong with Faye-Faye?" Ed asked, looking up at Jet.

"Why do you ask?" Jet asked.

"She's moping around and water's running down her cheek," Ed replied.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

Spike walked around the hangar, thinking. "I feel like absolute shit," he said to himself. "How the hell does that woman get to me like that?"

"Wish I knew," Faye replied from behind him. "But then I'd have to figure out how the Hell you keep getting to me."

Spike turned around, gazing at Faye's red eyes. "Faye," Spike began, "I…uh…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay," Faye replied. "After what I said, I had it coming." Spike smiled slightly. Faye, in turn, shook her head. "Damn gaucho."

_Beep! Beep! Mr. Spiegel, are you there?_ Officer Johnson asked via Spike's COM.

Spike looked at Faye, who was waving him away. "Yeah," he replied. "Do you need something?"

"Um…I thought I should deliver a tip to you," Johnson replied. "I heard you guys talking about that vigilante group on Mars."

"What about them?" Spike asked.

"Well…" Johnson said, "I heard your bounty mention something about a group on Mars and working for a guy named Alesandre and something about Mars City. Thought that might be of some use to you."

"Thanks," Spike said, ending the transmission.

Faye looked at Spike funny. "That sounds like a trap for some reason," she said.

Spike looked at Faye, smiling devilishly. "Looks like I can take out my frustration on someone after all," he said, checking Swordfish II for any signs of mechanical trouble. _I should probably have Doohan look at this while I'm here_, he thought to himself.

Faye rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. _Damn lunkhead_, she muttered to herself.


	21. Ringing Like A Bell

Ringing Like A Bell

_Five minutes after Johnson's call_

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Faye asked, shouting her question from the door of the hangar.

"Maybe," Spike said sarcastically.

"What, do you get your kicks going on suicide attempts?" Faye shouted again, walking back towards Spike and Swordfish.

"Maybe," Spike said again, smiling at Faye's obvious frustration.

Faye, noting Spike's love of her anger, began beating on Swordfish. _Maybe this will get his attention_, she thought.

Spike couldn't take another moment of the beating. Jumping out of the ship, Spike jumped next to Faye and grabbed her by the wrists.

"Let me go, you jerk!" Faye shouted, her wrists turning a dark shade of red.

Spike looked at the woman before him. "You done banging on my ship?" he asked.

"Fuck you, Spike!" Faye spat back.

"I don't know where you've been!" Spike said sarcastically.

Faye looked at him for a second, dumbfounded. "Even if I thought you were serious," Faye began, "you're nowhere near man enough for me!"

"You know you want me," Spike said, shrugging his shoulders and taking the comment in stride. He somehow held his tongue, though he was tempted to mention the bounty that turned out to be Faye's ex-boyfriend.

"Damn lunkhead," Faye muttered, rolling her eyes.

Spike looked down at her and smiled. "You might want to back up," he said. "I do still plan on going to see that guy."

Faye stormed off, wondering why she bothered to care so much about what Spike does.

* * *

_Five minutes later…_

"He's going WHERE?" Jet asked, thrown off guard.

"To Mars City," Faye replied, leaning against a wall. "He got a tip from that weirdo cop from old New York City about the Martian vigilante group."

Jet sighed, grinding his teeth. _It's just like that damn kid to run off like that without telling us what's going on!_ he mused. "When did he leave?"

"Not even five minutes ago," Faye replied, looking down at her nails.

Jet brushed his right hand across his head. "Follow him," he told Faye. "I smell a trap and that crazy kid's gonna need all the help he can get, like it or not."

* * *

_Nearly two hours later…_

Spike smiled as he landed his plane. There was always something about visiting Doohan that put him in a good mood. Looking behind him, he noticed Faye landing the Red Tail. _Now that I think about it, she's the first person who has ever come here with me_, Spike thought, smiling.

Faye looked around. In every direction except for her left, there was nothing but desert. _Things have changed since I was last in the United States_, she thought to herself. Finally, movement in her periphery snatched her from comparing the past to the present.

"You can come in with me if you want," Spike told her. Faye nodded, accepting Spike's invitation.

As the two reached the shop's entrance, Faye looked in every direction possible. Spike, meanwhile, watched Faye's reaction. "It reminds me of my grandfather's shop," Faye finally said.

Spike looked at Faye funny for a moment, wondering if she was pulling his leg. "You're related to someone who owned a repair shop?" Spike asked.

"It was nothing like what your friend does, but yeah," Faye replied. "His passion was torturing Japanese cars. He was one of many guys that people respected for their work on cars."

Spike nodded, letting the tiny bit of Faye's past sink into his memory. Before he could say anything, however, Doohan approached. "I see you brought company this time around," Doohan said. Finally believing he'd sized Faye up enough, he reached out his hand. "Name's Doohan."

"Faye," she replied, returning the handshake.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

While Spike was in Doohan's office fixing a pot of coffee, Doohan and Faye exchanged pleasantries and the like.

"You must be some woman to watch out for a guy like Spike," Doohan said.

"It ends up being a mutual thing," Faye replied. "Spike will never admit it, though."

Doohan turned to look toward his office. "You'd be surprised," Doohan finally said, smiling.

"What has he said about me?" Faye asked, curious.

"Well," Doohan began, "I guess his first impression was something like 'beautiful cheater' or something along that line. Then he said you could be very high maintenance." Doohan looked at Faye, who was somewhere between curious and slightly frustrated. "But he has always said he respected you. More than anything, he says you act like you don't care, but you manage to stand by people when they need you."

"Did he really say all that or is that what you think?" Faye asked.

Doohan smiled as Spike walked over with the coffee pot and three cups. "Now that's something you have to figure out," he said.

* * *

_Four hours later…_

"I still think we're walking into some sort of trap," Faye said to Spike via her ship's COM.

"Then go back to the Bebop," Spike replied. "No one said you had to come." He thought about that and shook his head. "Make that…**I** didn't say you had to come."

Faye closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "I'm not going back," she said. "So what are we gonna do if we get there and at least 300 guns are pointing at us?"

Spike smiled mischievously. "Think about it, Faye," he said. "That bounty was a sealed invitation to come visit these guys. Now why would they point guns at us when we first get there? They obviously want something from me if they went through all the trouble of getting my attention and making sure I knew where to find them."

"Good point," Faye said. "What do you think they want?"

"No clue," Spike replied. "I haven't really given it much thought."

Faye smiled. _Some things never changed_, she thought. "So how much longer, you think?" she asked Spike.

"Probably another couple hours or so," Spike replied. "We're meeting them at their place."

"Figures," Faye said, rolling her eyes.

* * *

_Two and a half hours later…_

Spike and Faye landed near Lake Hermesia. "You can still turn back, you know," Spike told Faye.

"No way," Faye replied, looking at Spike suspiciously. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"You said yourself that the situation was suspicious," Spike replied.

"It's a little late to turn back now," Faye replied. "I've already come this far."

Spike nodded, once again feeling both pride and slight annoyance in Faye's determination. "I see," he finally said.

Faye looked around the city, sighing slightly. _What the hell have we just walked into_, she asked herself. After a few moments, she looked over at Spike and hopped out of her ship. "Might as well get this show on the road!"

* * *

_Two hours later…_

The cowboys came across a glass and white brick building overlooking downtown Mars City. The structure towered over many buildings near it. The approximately fifty story building, understandably, was very difficult to miss.

"So," Faye began, "do you think this guy is old school with his office on the top floor or is he one of those guys who needs to see every person who comes in?"

"Since he's part of a newer group, it's hard to tell," Spike replied. "Either way, I have a feeling he'll be the last person we meet."

As soon as the two opened the door, about nine people walked briskly toward the door. "Can we help you?" one of them asked.

Spike smiled mischievously. "We're here to see Alesandre, your leader," he said. "Any idea where he is?"

Eight guns were pointed in his direction moments later.

"Who the hell are you?" the man standing in front of Spike asked.

"Just a harmless cowboy," Spike replied. "Alesandre sent me a personal invitation to show up here. I'm just seeing why I was asked to come."

The man nodded, escorting Spike and Faye to a room in the center of the building. "Wait here," the man said, closing the door as he walked out.

"Is this a normal syndicate move?" Faye asked Spike.

"Wasn't our style," Spike replied. "But every group is different and has its own quirk."

Five minutes later, the cowboys became increasingly agitated. "I doubt that guy even knows we're here," Faye muttered, standing up to leave.

As soon as she approached the door, it opened. "Good afternoon," Alesandre said, walking into the room. "I apologize for the wait." He approached Spike and shook his hand. He didn't notice Faye, who was now standing behind him. "Please, Mr. Spiegel, have a seat."

Faye leaned against the wall, mildly amused that she had gone unnoticed by Alesandre. "You think we could get something to drink," she said, smirking.

Alesandre looked up at Faye, finally. "I take it you came with Mr. Spiegel," he said.

"Who else would I come with?" Faye asked sarcastically, sitting between the two men.

Alesandre looked at Faye strangely. _There's something all too familiar about her_, he said to himself. _That hair…those eyes… they remind me of somebody_.He dug deep into every corner of his mind, attempting to figure out who the woman beside him was.

Faye stared at Alesandre. "Can I help you?" she asked. "Take a picture if I'm that damn interesting! It'll last longer!"

Alesandre stared back at Faye, stunned. "Faye?" he asked, somewhere between confused and shocked. "Is that really you?"


	22. Something You Should Know

**Something You Should Know**

(Twenty minutes after arriving at the organization building)

"Who the hell are you?" Faye asked, staring at the man in front of her.

"I take it you don't remember me," Alesandre replied, sighing. "I suppose that cryogenic freezing messed with your memory and brain function."

Faye stared at Alesandre, shocked. "How the hell do you know about that?" she asked. "Who are you?"

Spike glanced at the two. Alesandre smiled while Faye was in the process of turning as white as a ghost. "Um…" he began, almost amused at the scene before him, "Do you two know each other?"

"I haven't seen Faye in many years, but I do know her," Alesandre said. "She and I are…family."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Faye asked, halfway between shocked and laughing off the suggestion. "I have no family."

Alesandre shifted in his chair. His small eyes glistened with the threat of something that men with his range of power rarely, if ever, allow another being the pleasure of seeing without being promptly served with a death threat or worse. "Well," he began, "you're half right."

Spike gazed at the man before him. For some reason, there was something about the man that spoke volumes to him. He wasn't certain whether it was his character, demeanor, or the mere curiosity of knowing intimate details about the so-called shrew he dared call his partner. All that was certain about this trip was two very important things: one, that Faye could possibly become a liability, and two, any information would have to be obtained quickly and in a way not to damage or endanger Faye.

"So exactly how are we related?" Faye asked, somewhere between excited and angry for not being told sooner that she still had living relatives.

* * *

_Six hours later…_

"You're kidding!" Jet exclaimed.

"I wish I was," Spike replied, stretching across the couch.

The two men stared at one another from across the coffee table. Neither one had words for the mess they stumbled across. _She and I are…family_. The phrase echoed in Spike's mind for what seemed like the millionth time. The concept of relatives was, at best, foreign.

In Jet's case, the situation itself proved to be his major concern. Hunting for bounties when someone has a connection to the person is one thing. Rhent and Whitney were more than enough proof of everything that can even remotely go wrong in mixing bounty hunting and personal issues past and present. However…

Before Jet could finish his train of thought, Spike fell off the couch, laughing. "What the hell?" Jet said, looking down at his partner.

Calming down for a brief moment, Spike smirked and said, "Picture it: the head of a vigilante organization and a cunning shrew. Their parents must be rolling in their graves."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

A single finger traced a business card. The red nail constantly stopped at the last name: Marshall. The finger slowly trembled while underlining the name. _But he said that wasn't my last name_, Faye thought to herself. _So why does the name Liang seem so familiar?_ Faye also grasped a picture given to her by Alesandre. The photo was of two young children, a boy and a girl. The girl resembled the same image shown in the mysterious videotape sent to Faye just less than a year ago. The boy, on the other hand, had black hair and blue eyes. Although the two seemed very different, it was painfully obvious how close they really were.

Surrounding the photo was an orange glow. Water threatened to fall on the tattered material at any given moment, though the producer tried very hard to fight it. _I'm not alone after all_, Faye's mind constantly chanted. In a sense, a piece of her seemed to melt away at the thought.

The whiff of canine feces invaded all of Faye's thoughts. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed, running around the ship. "Ed!" As she reached a door, she manually flung them open as quickly as she could. "Where are you?" The further she traveled, the angrier she became. "Why the hell haven't you thrown out the damn newspaper?"

A head popped up at the sound of Faye's screaming. "Nyah?" Ed mumbled, halfway between awake and asleep. "Sleepy sleepy bye bye!"

* * *

_The next day…_

An awkward silence enveloped the Bebop. Each adult member could sense that the others were restraining themselves from saying something, yet neither person quite understood what that thing was. Ed, on the other hand, glanced from Jet, to Faye, to Spike and back again so many times that she made herself dizzy and landed back-first on Ein's head. A loud squeal was the only response heard in the room in the past two hours.

Jet looked up at the poor pooch running away from the living room. _Damn girl's gonna give him a concussion if she isn't careful_, he thought to himself. _But I'd rather deal with a concussion than the shit we just fell into._

Spike stared at Faye. A small part of him wondered why the muffled tears he'd heard as he walked the halls at night didn't etch their stains onto her face. More than anything, he wondered how a woman who is normally so brash and outspoken had yet to say much of anything to anyone since she discovered her connection to Alesandre.

Faye met Spike's stare with a glare. "Since when did I become so damn interesting for you to stare at?" she asked Spike, practically spitting the question out of her mouth.

Spike took his glance off of her. "Sorry," he said.

Jet and Faye looked at each other, then at Spike. "You're…sorry?" Jet asked, confused.

"Yeah," Spike replied. He started to ask his question, but backed down. _The last thing I need to deal with is that shrew's mouth_, Spike thought.

Faye held her gaze onto Spike's face. _Why was he staring at me like that_, she asked herself again and again. _Fuck it_. "I'm going out for a while," she announced. "Anyone want anything?"

"I want choooooooocolate!" Ed exclaimed, picking up Ein and dancing her way toward the bedrooms.

The others shook their heads, resisting the urge to mutter "weirdo" or something similar.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Alesandre paced back and forth throughout his office. He constantly wiped sweat from his matted gray hair. _So little sister is finally awake_, he said to himself. _How long had that slipped under my radar? Her bills must be through the roof!_ He glanced out of a large bay window. _How the hell did she get tangled up with Mr. Spiegel? What are they to one another?_

He turned to see Nico standing in his doorway. "You asked to see me?" Nico asked cautiously. It was a widely known fact that disturbing Alesandre's train of thought meant a quick and painful death.

"I need a favor," Alesandre said. "I need you to do a bit of research for me."

"On who?" Nico asked, wondering why one of the lower level members weren't asked to do such a simplistic job.

"My sister," Alesandre replied.

Nico nodded before walking away. One single thought crossed his mind again and again: _Since when did Alesandre have a sister? What the hell is going on?_


	23. Last Night: Creative Interlude V

Last Night: Creative Interlude V

Finally, after taking a nice and long (not to mention frustrating, annoying, headache-inducing…ok, guess you guys get the picture) hiatus, I finally returned to this story. I had the beginnings of a chapter on my computer for a while now, but hadn't quite found a way to finish it. Hopefully, it was worth the wait.

Here are a few things you should probably know about the chapters:

That Shotgun Shine: I just couldn't resist mentioning the bell peppers and beef. Is it just me or is that Jet's trademark dish? Also, the mini fight between Spike and Faye somewhat reminded me of another fanfic I read on this site. I guess I had that in mind as I wrote that part of the chapter.

By Half Past Ten: Yes, yes, I know. The bounty just keeps rising. That was the point. How else could they rope a cowboy? Also, the fight that took place in this chapter was created for one purpose: my way of trying to decide whether to turn this story into yet another Spike/Faye drama. I think I've finally decided against it. It would ruin the momentum of the story.

Ringing Like A Bell: Of all the chapters I've written, this is the one I hate the most. I feel like I rushed it far too much. Ugh! I honestly enjoyed the idea of Faye meeting Doohan. Part of me has always wondered what kind of things Spike has told Doohan about the countless people he's met over the years.

Something You Should Know: Am I the only person who wondered if Faye was truly alone? Assuming she isn't, I always wondered why no one was ever told that she was finally awake. Assuming she is, why did Baccus feel the need to wake Faye from her frozen state? By the way…I've had that Ed moment where I've looked up half sleep and said something crazy. In my case, it really was "sleepy sleepy bye bye."

I'm trying to decide whether this will be the last interlude before the story's over or if I'll have another one before it ends. But the chapters are beginning to wind down, even if the story isn't yet. Hang on for the ride!

Thanks for sticking with me and hello to any new fans I've collected recently! If you want to ask me anything, please feel free to email me!


	24. Today Is So Low

**Today Is So Low**

(three days following the Faye-Alesandre meeting)

Smoke poured from a small hand while sighs shook the body it was attached to. Unlike most nights, the stars and sea held no comfort for the gazer. On the contrary, both seemed to betray and laugh at her. "I went through all this for nothing," she said to herself.

Jet glanced at her from within the ship. Contrary to his harsh and overbearing attitude toward her, he worried about her. _I wish there was something I could do_, he thought. With a quick shake of his head, he walked toward the kitchen.

Spike, however, was a man of action. He paced throughout the ship. Eventually, he found himself outside next to Faye, cigarettes and two shots of scotch in hand. "Thought you could use this," he said, handing over one of the shots.

Saddened green eyes met his mismatched brownish-red ones. "Thanks," Faye whispered, facing the sea once again. A deep silence overtook the cowboys before Faye finally looked at Spike again. "You ever have a moment like this?"

"Never quite had the chance," he replied solemnly. "Both of my parents are dead. My father was killed before I was born and my mother…" He gulped down his scotch. "…was killed right in front of me while I was a baby." He stirred around the last couple drops of liquor as if it held a universal truth. "I was an only child, of course. The closest I ever had to family were Annie, Mao, Doohan and Vicious."

Faye stared at him for a second. "Who's Annie?" she asked.

Spike's smile held a bittersweet quality within it. "She was somewhere between a mother and an older sister," he replied. "She was a good woman."

"Was?" Faye asked.

Spike held his head low. "She was killed just before Julia," he said.

It was then Faye's turn to hold her head low. "I'm sorry," she said, glancing in Spike's direction once again. "If you care so little about me, why tell me these things?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Geez, Faye!" he grumbled. "You've never heard of making conversation?"

Faye sighed. "I honestly expected a typical yes or no," she said. "And I don't feel like fighting. I feel like I've wasted too much of my life as it is." With that, she threw away her nicotine stick and returned to the ship.

_The fuck was that about?!_ Spike wondered.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"You're late," a voice grumbled from a large hall.

Nico rolled his eyes, wandering further into the room. "My sincerest apologies," he said. "Your mission took much longer than I anticipated."

A low sigh echoed across the room. "I never said the task would be easy," Alesandre said. "If it were something simple or less personal, I would have asked someone else." He sat down in a nearby chair. "So…what did you find out about her?"

Nico cleared his throat. "For starters, she's a hard woman to get information on," he started, walking around. "Most of her records disappeared during the 2014 Gate Accident that destroyed Earth's moon. She was transferred from one colony to the other as more scientific advances were being tested."

Alesandre growled. "You mean to tell me they used her as a test subject?" he yelled.

Nico nodded. "Keep in mind…they were trying to come up with something to help her. She ended up with a very serious illness while being treated for her injuries. Apparently, from what I can gather, it was somewhere between Ebola and a deadly staph infection. Nothing I read said anything about how she contracted such a deadly disease."

Another growl erupted. "You're telling me things I already know about!" he yelled. "I asked you--"

"You asked me to do research on your sister," Nico said, struggling to remain calm. "You never said what point I should start at. So, I started as far back as I could. If you don't want me to tell you what I learned, I can type it up or--"

"Forgive me," Alesandre said, closing his eyes. "Please, pay me no mind. Please tell me more."

"Very well," Nico said. "An experimental treatment for her condition was finally found for her about ten years ago. It seemed to work. However, the doctors mysteriously dropped their testing following her treatment."

"Why?" Alesandre asked.

"It seems the lead doctor owed too much money to the White Tiger Syndicate," Nico replied. "She was finally moved yet again to a mental facility slash hospital until a shady doctor, a Dr. Bacchus, finally unfroze her. The former drunk charged her for every service known to man and expected her to pay an outrageous sum of money for her treatment."

"Exactly how much does she owe?" Alesandre asked.

"Four hundred seventy-three million woolongs," Nico replied. "That also counts the debt she earned from his nephew, who faked his debt and left her as the inheritor. Even though she later captured him, his debt was never removed from hers."

Alesandre shook his head, taking everything in. "Wait," he said. "What do you mean she captured him?"

"I was just getting to that," Nico replied. "She somehow later earned the nickname Poker Alice and traveled from place to place as a blackjack dealer. Her last job was for a man named Gordon, who smuggled stolen money through his casino. He offered her freedom in exchange for a microchip that would help unlock encrypted codes to just about anything. However, she got her point man mixed up and managed to meet our target instead. She's been living with him and another bounty hunter named Jet Black ever since."

Alesandre's head shot up. "Jet Black?" he said. "You mean the Black Dog?"

"The one and only," Nico replied. "She also became a bounty hunter. From what I can gather, she's a damn good one. She and Mr. Spiegel often worked together on bounty hunting missions." He took a deep breath. "I forgot to mention that she had amnesia until fairly recently. Her memories just started returning to her within the last year. A woman named Sally Wang, surname Yung, confirmed suspicions that she visited the location of the family house on the island."

"Did anyone tell her about our father and her mother?" Alesandre asked.

"I don't believe so," Nico replied.

* * *

_The next afternoon…_

Gangly arms flew from left to right as the crazed hacker extraordinaire zoomed through cyberspace. Jet asked Ed to hunt down any and all information that could be found on Alesandre and his organization. Meanwhile, the kitchen reeked of something similar to beef and ramen stroganoff.

Faye wandered into the makeshift living room. Her face made it painfully obvious that she had been crying off and on for hours. Although most of her mascara rubbed off on her pillow, there were still traces of mascara lines across her face. Reddened cheeks and puffy eyes completed the miserable ensemble. Absent-mindedly, she wandered into the kitchen, finally noticing Jet. "Hi," she said.

Jet studied the woman, struggling not to squeeze her to death or overwhelm her. "Hungry?" he finally asked. "I tried making your favorite, but I didn't have any other noodles to go with it."

Faye glanced into his pan, smiling softly. "Smells good," she said. A single thought crossed her mind that made her feel that much more melancholy: _Alesandre used to make it that way when we were kids. What the hell else did I miss out on?_


	25. Times Like These

**Times Like These**

(four and a half days following the Faye-Alesandre meeting)

Nico paced from one end of his office to the other. His thoughts raced around his head as if they were competing for a trophy. One single idea crossed his mind again and again: why, after all these years, does Alesandre care about this woman he calls his sister?

As if on cue, Alesandre wandered in his direction for about the seventh time that day. "I'm getting old," he said. Nico couldn't help but stare at his boss and closest friend. "Here I am, an eighty-year-old man. I need someone else to take over. She would be the perfect person to trust this organization with."

Nico's brows mashed together, frustrated. _You're naming _HER_ as heir to everything _WE_ worked so hard for? _HER, _who probably couldn't give a rat's ass about how important everything is?! _HER,_ who'd be too fucking emotional to do what's necessary?! You're signing over everything that _WE_ fought for?! Over my dead body! Better yet…_

Nico smiled at the latest idea that crossed his mind. _Yes, it'll be perfect. They'll both go down and I'll be able to take over_, he thought.

Alesandre misunderstood the smile on Nico's face. "I knew you'd appreciate my thinking," he said. "We definitely need to change things around here!"

Nico glanced at his friend. "I couldn't agree with you more," he said.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Let's go over everything one more time," Jet said, wiping his left hand across his head. Several diagrams danced across the computer screen while Jet spoke. Ed grinned at her handiwork. Until that point, no one had ever seen blueprints of the organization's building. Ein, meanwhile, rested in a nearby corner. As far as anyone knew, it was the first peaceful sleep the poor dog's had on the ship since his and Ed's return.

Spike raised his head from its reclined position. He fumbled in his right pocket for his cigarettes and precious Zippo. Finding both, he lit and took a drag of his cancer stick.

Faye, meanwhile, curled up on the couch arm that Spike had recently vacated. Thinking better of swiping Spike's pack of cigarettes, she instead fixed herself a drink. Something told her that a rehash of the plan called for some form of a sweet, numb-inducing serum.

Jet cleared his throat, noticing that his audience was as ready for him to speak as they would ever be. "Since we all know that this guy will not be captured peacefully, we'll have to use what he'll assume against him. But to do that, we need two things: a mechanic on stand-by and everyone's cooperation. Can I count on all of that?"

Spike nodded his head. "Doohan said he'd be more than happy to patch up the ships," he said. "Apparently, this guy screwed Doohan out of some money years back. He only asks that we break a few body parts before we turn him in."

Jet turned to Faye. "Are you sure you're up for this?" Jet asked.

Faye shrugged her stiff shoulders. Jet's plan was simple: she have a bonding session with her brother, where she can find out as much information from her past as she'd like. All Jet asked of her was to act like any other sister would and pretend to protect her brother once Spike arrived to supposedly take advantage of Alesandre's defenses being down.

There was only one problem with the plan in her eyes: where does one draw the line between pretending to be protective and being protective? What if she had this little chat with Alesandre and all those old emotional attachments she must have had with her older brother came flooding back?

"Faye?" Jet asked once again.

Her mind continued to race. How would she be able to turn her brother in for money? This is her flesh and blood, after all! How could she do such a thing? However, how could he leave her for so long without any thought of searching for her until she had resurfaced under his nose and was staring him in the face?

"Faye?" Jet asked, shaking her this time. The sudden movement forced Faye out of her thoughts. "Are you in or out? If you don't want any part of this, we can find another…"

"Count me in," she said.

* * *

_Three days later…_

The silence between the two cowboys was almost deafening, Jet finally concluded. _What made me think I'd be at peace the day they stopped fighting each other_, he asked himself. _This silence is killing me!_

Spike stole a glance at his partner. He wore his normal mask of pure nonchalance as he flew behind Faye back to Mars City. Deep down, however, he felt yet another surge of pride for her. _I wonder if I could've done this if it were my family_, Spike wondered. _Fuck it! What do I care? They're long gone!_

"Spike," Jet began via COM, "hang back from Faye." He sighed. "And Faye, if you don't think you can do this, send a distress message back to me."

"Yeah, yeah," the huntress said, flying over the outskirts of the city. "I'll come crying like a whiny little bitch and ask the big strong men to take over for me!"

Spike smirked. "That's our girl!" he said.

"Fuck off, Spiegel," Faye snorted. "I said I was in and that's all there is to it. Just don't go chasing after some random girl and forget to come get me before I turn into emotional goo."

"You'd have to have a heart to do that!" Spike said, trying not to laugh.

"I have a heart, just not one pining for you!" Faye shot back, sticking out her tongue.

"Real mature, Faye," Spike said. "You learn that before or after they turned you into an ice cube?"

As the fight continued, Jet sat back, smiling. _Much better_, he sighed.

* * *

_Two hours later..._

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the tall glass building near the Lake. Alesandre paced throughout his office suite in thought. However, those very thoughts were interrupted by the clicking of heels.

"Alesandre," a petite blonde woman began, opening the door to his office, "there's a woman here to see you."

He smiled. She accepted his invitation after all. "Send her back," he told the woman.

Two minutes later, the door opened once again to review a deep violet-haired woman. "Um…hi," Faye said, feigning shyness. In all honesty, the shyness was only exaggerated.

"Thanks for coming, Faye," Alesandre said, gesturing to a chair at his conference table. "Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about."


	26. Meaning of Things

**Meaning of Things**

_One week after the Faye-Alesandre encounter_

Faye glanced at the glass building for the fourth time in less than a minute and sighed. Deep down, she felt herself falling into an emotional trap. _Well_, she said to herself, _I did say I wanted to know about my past. Here's my chance._

Twenty minutes and an unconscious secretary later, she found Alesandre's office. The room was decorated with cherry wood furniture and art from what appeared to be 19th century Asia. Faye rolled her eyes, curious yet annoyed at yet another so-called clue appearing and masking itself all at once.

"Faye?" Alesandre's voice rang from behind a closed door. A moment later, Alesandre appeared in the doorway. "Come in! We have a lot to talk about."

"I bet," Faye replied, rolling her eyes and following Alesandre to a conference room.

"Have a seat," Alesandre said, pointing to a chair to the right of the director's chair.

Faye took a seat, finally allowing herself to fully look at the man who called himself her brother. The two shared similar noses and mouths, but were different in every other way. Taking a deep breath, she finally broke the awkward silence. "Why am I here?" she asked. "Why call now?"

"You look like a woman with a lot of questions and I happen to have a lot of the answers," Alesandre replied. "As for why not, I can't think of a better time to answer you."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"How dare he!" Nico exclaimed, kicking and abusing everything in sight. "Until last week, everything we worked for was going to be mine if anything happened to him! And now…" He paused as Faye entered the building. "He's leaving everything to some whore he didn't even know existed until a few days ago!"

Nico stumbled back toward his office as Faye climbed up the stairs. He opened his office door and ran toward his desk, throwing open the drawers. Finally finding what he wanted, he smiled. "Let's see if I can change your mind," Nico said.

* * *

_Meanwhile_…

"You think she can handle it?" Spike asked via COM while flying toward Athenti City.

"I don't know," Jet replied, scratching his head. "Faye acts tough, but even she has a soft spot for the past."

"I've never understood her," Spike said. "One minute, she claims to be a gypsy. The next, she claims to be a woman from the past who's as old or older than both of us combined. Which one's the truth?"

Jet sighed. Up until he read the story of their bounty (thanks to Ed's research), he had the same question. "I believe her when she says she was cryogenically frozen," he finally replied. "That man has tried too many times in the past to find his long lost baby sister."

"With a sister like that, who needs a gold-digging girlfriend or wife?" Spike asked, snorting.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Don't think I haven't looked for you," Alesandre said. "I can show you hundreds of ads looking for a woman named _Faye Liang_ or a woman who was born with that name." He sighed. "I just never counted on you becoming an amnesiac or not being awakened for fifty-plus years!"

"That explains all the stickers on that crazy video and video player," Faye muttered.

Alesandre smiled in recognition. "Your class project," he said. "You tried talking Dad into flying all the way to Singapore so he could be in it." He shook his head. "After the accident, that was one of the things he regretted, that he didn't spend enough time with you. He was always gone…always distant."

Faye's eyes widened as Alesandre talked. _Dad. I had a dad_, Faye thought. _Why do I keep picturing fuzzy brown hair?_

Seeing Faye's reaction, Alesandre dug into his wallet and pulled out a picture. "This is Dad," he said, pointing to a smirking man with wild brown hair and emerald eyes. He was standing next to two women. One had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was holding the hand of a hyperactive child with blonde hair and green eyes. The other woman had black hair and brown eyes. She held a very small child with black hair and emerald eyes.

Faye stared at the picture, studying all the faces. A single tear escaped her left eye. She suddenly shook her head. "I barely remember any of you," Faye said quietly.

Alesandre nodded, a small piece of his heart breaking following Faye's statement. "Before I dive into your past, would you like something to eat?" he asked. "I'll get you anything you want."

Faye smiled. "How about some Beefy Ramen Stroganoff?" she said.

"Anything but that!" Alesandre shouted, smiling and rolling his eyes. "I guess you remember how much I stunk at cooking." He laughed to himself. "Over fifty years later and I still can't cook worth a damn!"

Faye laughed. "In that case," she said, immediately wanting to shoot Jet, "how about some Bell Peppers and Beef?"

"Coming right up," Alesandre said, calling for takeout.

* * *

_A few minutes later…_

Nico happened to be walking downstairs to grab dinner when he noticed a very confused delivery woman standing in the middle of the lobby. "Can I help you?" he asked the woman.

"Delivery for a Mr. Marshall," she said, holding up a stuffed bag.

"I'll take it to him," Nico replied, taking the bag and walking toward the staircase.

The woman stiffened. "What about my tip?" she asked.

Nico whipped around, pulling out an older Smith & Wesson handgun, and shot the woman in the chest. "Never piss off a former cop that still packs heat," he replied. "How's that for a tip?"

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"What's taking them so long?" Faye asked.

"I wish I knew," Alesandre replied. "I'm starving!"

A few moments later, Faye stretched as the two siblings heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it," she said, walking toward the door and letting Nico in.

"Here's your dinner," Nico replied, sitting the food in front of Alesandre. "I ran into the delivery woman downstairs and figured I'd save her the trouble."

"Thank you," Alesandre said, looking inside the bag.

"Before I leave," Nico began, "can we discuss a little business?"

Alesandre looked up at Nico, his chin becoming rigid and his eyes holding a steely glance. "No," he replied, sitting back in his chair. "For over fifty years, I've waited to spend time with my dear Faye-Faye." Faye, in turn, winced at the all-too-familiar nickname. "Finally, I have the chance to do that. So anything you have to say to me can wait until at least tomorrow."

Nico grumbled, walking behind Faye and pointing his gun at her head. "No," he replied. "I'm afraid it can't."


	27. As They Appear: Creative Interlude VI

As They Appear: Creative Interlude VI

The random twists and turns that life can take never ceases to amaze me. Speaking from my personal life, I've done some travelling, temped in a few random places, and began piecing together the beginnings of what could become my new life. But I digress…

Thank all of you for keeping up with this story. I will warn you, though…this is the last update before the end of the story. Pay very close attention because this story, much like its author, could have yet another trick up its sleeve.

Anyway, here are a few tidbits you all may want to know about the story:

Today Is So Low: I hope this story echoed the slight vibes of angst that Faye seemed to portray throughout the show whenever she thought of her past—or how little she knew about it. I also wanted to give my own twist of how Faye got to Bacchus. Part of me wants to believe someone out there is looking for her and I wanted to use Alesandre to further examine.

Times Like These: Yet again, I had to retouch on the bickering between Faye and Spike. That's part of what made Bebop…well…Bebop. I also wanted to explore Faye's mindset on actually participating in a hunt for someone she used to know rather than randomly finding them after someone else (ie. Jet) caught them.

Meaning of Things: Believe it or not, I cranked out this chapter (and a couple others) while I was in work one day. This one in particular was my way of exploring any sort of encounter with Faye and her past. Nico's actions, on the other hand…well…wait and see what happens.

If you guys have any questions, please feel free to ask. If you have any comments (constructive, please!), feel free to email me or review. Thanks!


	28. Sisters and Brothers

**Sisters and Brothers**

(immediately following the stand-off)

"Let her go!" Alesandre yelled, almost pleading. "Whatever this is about, she has nothing to do with it."

"She has everything to do with it!" Nico exclaimed. "I get rid of her and I re-inherit a multi-billion-woolong operation."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alesandre asked, obviously confused.

"Up until a few days ago, I was going to be your successor for OUR operation," Nico replied. "Then this whore shows up and—"

"Watch how you address my sister," Alesandre growled in warning, trying to keep his temper in check. "And as for this organization, you were only a secondary inheritor at best."

Faye looked from one man to the other, absolutely confused. "What the hell are you two babbling about?" she asked.

"I was going to tell you later," Alesandre began, "but I am leaving this organization to you. Every dollar I have will be yours."

Nico growled once more. "Not if I have my say," he replied, cocking a bullet into place. Before anyone could blink, Nico was on the ground, dead.

Faye studied the bullet hole between Nico's eyes, then stared at her older brother. Fear, confusion and admiration unceremoniously few across her face. "Why?" she finally asked.

Alesandre smirked before sitting back down, attempting to ease Faye's worries. "Nobody screws with my little sister and gets away with it!"

Faye rolled her eyes, moving to a chair on Alesandre's left. "That's the shittiest line I've ever heard," she said.

"What?" Alesandre asked, laughing.

_

* * *

_

_Meanwhile…_

Spike landed on the outskirts of Athenti City just past seven thirty in the evening local time. Once he stretched, Spike wandered along a street near the building currently housing Faye and their bounty.

His mind drifted back to a memory from five years before. Spike and Julia went to a street festival in the city. Each building held a piece of the memorized scene, from the arched gateway the lovers shared a forbidden kiss, to the bridge overlooking the lake where Julia told him that she was falling for him. Now that he thought about it, a small part of him kept screaming that he leave Julia alone until she leaves his best friend. _How times change_, Spike thought to himself.

"Spike! You there?" Jet asked via COM.

Spike sighed, digging through his pockets for the device and burying the memory once again. "Yeah," he replied. "What's up?"

"Our bounty is apparently very skilled with guns," Jet explained.

"Got it," Spike replied, scratching his head. "Hey Jet…is there any particular reason that you always send Faye and me to back each other up?"

"Because I don't trust either of you with the ship," Jet replied. Suddenly, the image of the last bounty the two chased together came to mind. "Spike, try not to be an ass or make a scene. This is a very delicate operation."

Spike grunted. "Then maybe you should take over," he said with a smirk. "I'm not the delicate type."

"I'll do it if I can take your share of the bounty," Jet replied.

"You're starting to sound like Faye," Spike said. "You two would make a great pair…a crook and a cop!"

"Better than a cop and a mobster, don't you think?" Jet asked, trying not to laugh.

Spike stared at his COM, stunned that Jet took the wise-cracking that far. "You win," he finally said with a sigh. "I'll let you know what happens."

_

* * *

A few minutes later…_

"So…where do you want me to start?" Alesandre asked.

"Who am I?" Faye asked. "What happened to me?"

Alesandre stared at Faye for a moment. "That's a loaded question," he replied. "For starters, your name is Faye Liang. You were born on Aug. 14, 1994 in New York City, which was in the United States. You have your mother's last name rather than our father's to avoid the scandal that would have broken out. Basically…the two worked for the same company. Our father was the C.E.O. of the entire company and your mother was the Vice President for the Asia division. You mostly grew up in Singapore but came to the United States a few times a year."

Alesandre paused for a moment to look his sister over once more, then continued. "You and I, by right, are only three years apart. But the freezing kept you young, so your body is only 24." He scratched his head. "I guess you really are my baby sister now."

"What was I like?" Faye asked.

"You were somewhere between outgoing and shy," Alesandre replied. "In other words, you were shy as a kid but became bolder with age. You had a lot of friends and way too many boys talking to you, in my opinion." Faye giggled at that, vaguely remembering her brother yelling through her cell phone at a guy she was friends with in America.

"You were incredibly smart," Alesandre continued. "You wanted to be a doctor at one point. In fact, you came to the United States to study medicine. By the time you were ready to complete an internship, the first hospital built away from Earth opened. You begged Dad to let you volunteer, but he refused. Being stubborn as usual, you took part of your trust fund and left to work at the hospital." Alesandre paused, his voice breaking. "It was on that trip that you were in the accident."

"What happened?" Faye asked.

"Your ship was in the newly finished hyper gate when it exploded," Alesandre replied. "To be honest, you're lucky to be alive. Just about everyone on that ship died." He shifted in his chair a bit, trying to calm his nerves. "You ended up being sent from one doctor to another because you caught a strange disease while you were in the hospital. Our folks were eventually talked into trying cryogenic freezing so you wouldn't suffer further while the doctors tried finding a cure."

Faye sat there, shocked. The few memories she had of her parents were of caring people who never seemed to have just enough time to spend with her. It bothered her, sure, but she understood. She suddenly missed her parents all the more upon hearing what they went through for her.

Alesandre leaned forward after a moment or two. "I know all about your debt to that damn crook of a doctor," he said. "It's already been taken care of. All of your debts are now paid off."

Faye did a double-take. "How did you know about that?" Faye asked. "What did you do?"

_

* * *

Moments later…_

Spike shook his head. Upon entering the building, he found a dead body, a woman with a bruise on the side of her head and several bullet holes. _Either Faye's having a hell of a bad day or something fucked up happened_, Spike thought to himself. Stealthilly, he climbed up the stairs toward Alesandre's office.

_

* * *

Meanwhile…_

Alesandre looked at Faye, clearly amused. Faye ranted on and on about her escapades as a drifter, then as a space cowgirl. However, one question seemed to nag at him. Unsuccessfully, he scrambled to find the most delicate way to ask it.

Faye, meanwhile, saw her brother looking at her strangely. "What?" she asked.

Sighing, Alesandre finally decided to bluntly ask the question. "I just have to know," he began. "What kind of relationship do you have with Mr. Spiegel and the Black Dog?"

As if on cue, Spike walked into the conference room. "Am I dropping in at a bad time?" he asked.


End file.
